Demystifying Meeting Procedures

I have attended a fair number of meetings in my life, ranging from committee, executive, and general to annual general meetings. Attendance at the meetings has ranged from 5 to 2000. Some have been examples of well run, competently chaired smooth meetings. Others have been the exact opposite – rambling, badly chaired and very long. And of course there have been a lot in between these two examples.

What is it about meetings that cause people to get it so wrong so often? Is it because we don’t often get a chance to chair a meeting and so expand our skills? Is it fear of being in charge of meetings and of being in the spotlight? Perhaps it is lack of knowledge?

I have touched on some of the answers in a previous blog – such as preparation, communication skills and answering impromptu questions. Today I want to concentrate on some basics such as protocol, moving motions, voting and the actual running of the meeting.

Firstly the difference between an MC and a Chairman (and yes it is Chairman not Chairperson or Chair – Chairman is neutral, non gender specific). An MC (Master of Ceremonies) is a person who acts as host at formal occasions. The MC makes a welcoming speech, introduces other speakers and provides commentary in between the speakers. A Chairman is a person presiding over a meeting, a committee, debate or other formal entity. The usual address is Mr Chairman or Madam Chairman. The Chairman is in control of the meeting and remarks should be addressed through the Chairman. The mark of a good Chairman is preparation and knowledge – know your agenda and be aware of what is going to be discussed.

Secondly, moving and voting on motions: this can be very involved. In the simplest form you need a mover and a seconder, ask for discussion, then put it to the vote.. all those in favour, any against , then state the motion is passed or defeated. A couple of things to note – the mover speaks to the motion and has a right of reply – in fact is the last person to speak on the motion. The seconder must reserve their right to speak when seconding or else they do not get a chance to speak. If there is discussion you ask for those for the motion; then those against. Each takes it in turn. The Chairman is in control and sets the time and number that will be allowed to speak. As I said this can be very involved but for most meetings the basics should suffice to ensure a well run meeting.

Finally, one common issue that nearly always arises is who can move and second the motion regarding the previous minutes. There is a belief that unless you were at the previous meeting you cannot move or second the motion. This is not true… any person who believes the record to be correct can move this motion – the difference is in the wording… If you were at the meeting you would say that the minutes be confirmed. If you were not at the meeting the wording would be that the minutes be taken as a true and correct record. If you remember anything about meeting procedures remember this because it can save a lot of angst and time wasted looking for someone who was at the last meeting.

Knowing some of these basic concepts can turn a poorly run meeting into a smoothly run, competently chaired meeting.

“Effective meetings don't happen by accident, they happen by design.“ (Management by Meetings)

(to those who follow me on Twitter and read the blog you will have by now noted that I did not blog on any of the items I suggested… what can I say - you have to go where the muse takes you… perhaps later for persuasive selling, choices and attitudes or communication and customer service)

Trish@Trischel

Grim Determination ….

When you are faced with a problem which seems to defy a solution, what do you do?

Do you decide that it’s probably all too hard and put it on the back burner? Do you hand it over to someone else with a thankful sigh? Or do you grit your teeth and keep on trying to solve it?

I ask for a reason. There has been this problem that has exercised the minds and efforts of a number of people over more than a few months. The problem wasn’t particularly life threatening but it was causing inconvenience to the organisation; and it was causing me personally some slight annoyance, and it wasn’t being solved. So exasperation got the better of me on the weekend and I decided this had to stop. So I solved it.

I don’t believe that a problem is ever unsolvable – in fact my grandfather had laid down that principle early on in my life. “Michele” he would tell me “if you can’t find the answer then you’re asking the wrong question!” Such an attitude let me to try all sorts of answers until I could find one that worked. In fact my boss once said to me “You don’t so much solve the problem as worry it to death!” In fact I refused to give up.

We all know the story of the light bulb – how many ways Edison found that it didn’t work, and I can probably recount about a hundred ways of not getting some things done. This has never been of concern to me – I like to worry a problem to death; it feels good when I finally ask the right question and get the obvious solution.

However, it appears I may be in a minority. Others who I have spoken to tell me that they don’t bother with all that – “If you were in the army today you wouldn’t have time for that kind of nonsense” said one. It made me wonder what actually happened to the problem then, did it stop being a problem once people had stopped trying to solve it, or did they just learn to accept the inconvenient outcome and put up with it.

I don’t think I have ever been a ‘putter-up-wither’. I just don’t see the reason for it. The problem is still a problem whether I decide to leave it or not. And the inevitable outcome of such an attitude will be that all problems that refuse to go away after the quick fix has failed, will be treated the same way – and that could be dangerous.

The key to any success is – in my opinion – often nothing more than grim determination to find an answer. The easy way out achieves at most, mediocrity – and there are many talented people out there just waiting for their chance. I found this quote in a book by Bill Newman called The Ten Laws of Leadership and it encapsulated everything I feel about grim determination ….

Press On. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are important.

… and that goes for women too!

We are familiar with the tales of survival through persistence and determination; and perhaps when our very lives are at stake the alternative to persistence is not an appealing option. Nor is facing a life in a wheel chair and if determination can effect the outcome then it is surprising just how much gritted teeth dedication to pain you can cope with – as I know from personal experience.

And if that is not a possible outcome, then it takes grim determination to achieve a quality of life that is positive and successful as Mark Hunter knows.

These are situations and problems that if not solved successfully can have life changing outcomes, outcomes that may not be what we wanted. So our motivation is immediately identifiable.

But what happens if the outcome from an unsolved problem is not so dramatic or so uncomfortable; if the problem is causing merely minor inconveniences? Will our commitment to solving it be equally positive?

I believe that people change only when they are really uncomfortable with things or with life. And the commitment to solving a problem will depend on the degree of discomfort that it creates. But then there are others who with a grim determination have decided that a problem is a problem and needs to be solved. Count me in that group!

Minor inconveniences can become an ongoing irritation, and eventually the minor irritations can build into a major problem that needs to be solved immediately. We are now faced with a major difficulty causing massive inconvenience – and it could have been avoided. Yes, Experience speaking there folks!

So how do you cope with those little problems that just don’t appear to have an immediate solution? Do you put up with them hoping they will fix themselves – because they won’t, trust me on that! Or do you try once or twice to fix it, only to give up? Or do you decide enough is enough and with an amount of grim determination which may be surprising to others set about finding a solution even if it takes time?

It’s attitude, you see. And if you have the attitude of grim determination to see it through, you will bring that attitude to all things in your life – and it is persistence and determination that is, alone, important to any successful outcome.


Written by Miss Grim Determination herself


Michele @ Trischel

A Question of Values – or is it Principles – no: wait! It’s Ethics – isn’t it?

In a recent discussion with a friend of ours, (Dr Wayne Applewhite of “Just Leadership” ) the question of “ethics” arose. In some research which Wayne is conducting it appeared that the problem of ethics was of concern to a number of Leaders.

I wrote a somewhat light-hearted look at the problems of ethics last year which raised a variety of questions and I thought I might revisit the topic – but I found it has got even more confusing. I am not going to even attempt to answer the questions, I am merely going to pose some more for your consideration. It should be an interesting exercise.

We all know that one aspect of Leadership which is extolled is that of ‘Leadership Values’. Without even thinking about it the combination of ‘Vision and Values’ just rolls off the tongue. But what are these values that we so glibly refer to? And if recent corporate history is to go by, how can some company executives act so unethically?

Well, let’s start at the beginning. What is ethical behaviour? What is that ‘something’ that tells us that this action is a ‘good thing’ while that is ‘bad’? Is it conscience? And if so where did it come from?

To some, moral principles are bound up with religious teaching, I believe that most religions and spiritual pathways have a credo which is a variant of “Do unto others as you would have them do to you” In fact Charles Kingsley’s Mrs Do-As-You-Would-Be-Done-By (from the Water Babies) was a successful teacher of ethics for a lot of Victorian children; And even the modern pagans respect the “And it harm none, do as you will” principle.

Others of course will turn to the philosophers for a decision of what does or does not constitute “rightful behaviour” – and like all philosophy there is a point of view that will coincide with what you what it to say!

For instance Kant tells us that our decisions arise from a rational consideration of the problem, that we make our decision consciously and from ‘justified principles’. Hume on the other hand prefers a more intuitive morality, which we exercise subconsciously and emotionally. Rawls, however discards the emotion, accepts the intuition and declares we make ethical decisions ‘built on principles’.

But, as I asked last October – what are principles, and where do they come from?

Psychologists tell us that our children learn their basic principles firstly from us; their parents, their carers, the family and friends; that it is by listening to what we say and watching what we do that they come to learn what is morally right. The way in which we conduct ourselves in our daily lives is a living school for behaviour; both what is acceptable and what is not. They will learn from our example and also from the values that we demonstrate and strive for. They will also learn that sometimes that what we say is not necessarily what we do, and thereby learn about expediency and compromise!

Lessons in what is acceptable behaviour continue in school – but ‘acceptable behaviour’ can be legislated for and will change with social changes. Behaviours which were acceptable in my school days are now outlawed as being ‘racist’ or‘ anti-social’ or even ‘politically incorrect’. The extreme difference between Gen X and Gen Y attitudes has been put down to the false ‘legislated’ behaviour patterns of the 90’s – and that Gen Y has little ‘moral conscience’ but a high knowledge of rights.

So the next question I pose is “Can legislated behaviour create a true personal ethical standard?”

Immanuel Kant also said that if people were capable of always acting ethically (whatever that meant) there would be no need for us to learn ethics. Or I suppose legislate for it. But we are not ‘Beings of Goodwill’ who do what is right all the time – so legislated behaviour is necessary; but … the question still stands.

One who believes that business ethical standards must be legislated for is the current nominee for the Governorship of Pennsylvania, Ted Knox, He is ‘rolling out’ a platform of proposed ethical government reforms. So once again 'ethical' behaviour is being imposed from external sources rather than being an outcome of personal principles.

Then there are those who have attacked the very existence of capitalism as being the reason for unethical behaviour. The principle that profit becomes more important than people is, they explain, at the heart of the problems facing western corporations.

Some companies go so far as to post their Mission statement incorporating their values on the website – being open and honest. Bayer do, – but read it carefully, and consider the implications of the abstract terminology. What exactly does “a passion for our shareholders’ mean - profit or integrity?

I don’t believe that making money is wrong, we all do it to a greater or lesser degree, and none of us could ever say that a little bit more wouldn’t hurt!- but it is the way in which some businesses conduct themselves and the concept that profitability justifies certain actions that brings up the question of ethical behaviour.

Can we say that the leaders of these types of companies engage in ethical behaviour? Would they demonstrate a positive example of corporate values?

I have this saying on my wall as a laminated poster and I have no idea where it came from but to me it encapsulates everything I believe through instinct, through training and through experience about quality leadership

“Leaders know what they value. The best leaders exhibit both their values and their ethics in their leadership style and actions. Your leadership ethics and values should be visible because you live them in your actions every single day.”

From which it seems obvious that if we watch what leaders do, and if it matches with what leaders say then at least we will know what their values are – whether we agree with those values or not.

Which I think says it all.

Michele@Trischel

Making the Connection with Your Voice

Yesterday was Melbourne Cup Day in Australia. For Australians it is the race that stops a nation. All over the country bets were being placed, hats dusted off and copious amounts of champagne were being drunk at lunches. As the start of the race nears, silence descends across the country as people prepare to watch and listen to the race. In some places it may only be listening to the race callers. They are off and in the space of 3 to 4 minutes it is all over for another year.

At the lunch I attended there was a very good race caller who treated us to a magnificent race call of a phantom Melbourne Cup as part of the entertainment. I sat there listening completely enthralled and caught up in the moment. I was excited and hanging on each clearly articulated word. As he finished and I finally took a breath I realised what a perfect demonstration we had just had of using your voice to connect with your audience. The caller had used a variety of vocal techniques to make an emotional connection with the audience. An hour later when the actual Melbourne Cup was run we had another great demonstration of using vocal variety to make an emotional connection.

What did these race callers do with their voice? What can you do with your voice to make a connection and add impact to that next important presentation, speech or telephone call?

Firstly, be aware of your pitch. Raising the pitch higher or lower adds light and shade to the voice. Just think if the caller had kept the pitch at one monotone level there would have been no excitement generated no hook to catch our attention –the voice would have been lost in the general babble of noise.

Secondly, use the rate of delivery to generate excitement or engender a sense of calm and thoughtfulness. The faster the rate the more excitement is generated, a slower rate engenders an atmosphere of calm and sense of peace, a time for reflection.

Thirdly, increased volume assists the air of excitement and passion, whilst lowering the volume brings the audience back down and allows them to reflect on your message.

Fourthly, the use of pause to engender suspense can be particularly useful when you are leading up to an important point in your presentation. In calling the race the caller used this particularly well just at the beginning. Just before those words… “and they’re off”.. there was a pause.. it caught our attention and we knew that the next words would be important. In your presentations practise the pause and see how effective such a small change can be to the impact you have on the audience.

Finally, you need excellent articulation, i.e. clearly pronouncing and enunciating your words. If your words are mumbled and the audience can’t understand you the other vocal techniques will not be as effective. If the race caller does not clearly articulate the horses names we are not going to be as interested in the race. After all we want to know where our horse is coming in the race.

You have probably heard of these techniques before – there is nothing new in what the callers did. The important issue is that they used them and used them effectively. In your presentations, remember that the voice is one method you can use to make an emotional connection with your audience. Practise the techniques mentioned above. The more you use them, the more effective you will be.

Facts and figures are great but to be an effective communicator you need to make that connection to sell your message.

I hope you had a successful Melbourne Cup yesterday.. I did and I enjoyed every minute of the race call as I listened to my horse getting closer, closer and closer to the finish line!!


Trish @ Trischel

The Lessons of History

It is a strange thing but once you have focused on a topic you find it cropping up everywhere.

After our ‘merrymaking with management theories’ blog, I found the subject being raised by a variety of people in some very odd situations – but the oddest was when I caught up with Dave, an old army mate. Planning to spend a leisurely hour playing the ‘remember when’ games, I was astonished when the conversation moved on to management theories – that came out of left field!

Actually it is a perfect example of how conversation can meander from one topic to another with little or no rational transitions. We had first started out discussing the present conflict in Afghanistan, which prompted us to recall training ideologies learned from Vietnam; we mourned the unwillingness to learn from the British who fought (in our opinion) the only successful anti-terrorist campaign in Malaya in the 1950’s which itself was an outcome of the lessons learned during the Boer War!

“You know” said Dave “It’s true that if we fail to learn from history we are doomed to repeat it!”

Just how that segued into management theories I can’t seem to recall, but it did and I was challenged on my theory that Motivation in Management was pivotal to some of the ideas making the rounds today. “You don’t go back far enough” he warned me “Without some idea of where the whole concept started you can’t make that kind of judgement” and then came the killer – “You have to go back to Fayol!”

It was there I had a small panic attack - some where in the back of my mind I was sure that I had heard of Fayol – but in what context; and why he was important or relevant to our conversation simply escaped me.

Dave saw my confusion and grinned – “You’re getting old my girl – you used to hold forth very opinionated about Fayol in your army days!” and let the matter rest.

When I got home, with determination and desperation I attacked the library – somewhere in here there has to be something about someone called Fayol – if not, I am never going to live this down. Aha!!!!!! Got it! - so I sat down and re-read it and memory flooded back – of course, how could I forget? Now I bet you are all laughing at me, fancy forgetting Henri Fayol!

What do you mean; you have never heard of him? Cue History lesson!!

Henri Fayol was a Frenchman who lived from 1841 to 1925; and was a successful industrialist with the French firm Comentry-Fourchambault. He rose from a junior executive in 1860 to become a director of the company when he retired in 1918.

When he entered business the only training that any executive had was on the job, and learning from others. It was believed that some people were natural leaders and that the skills of management and leadership could not be taught. Fayol disagreed.

He was the first to try to incorporate the modern attitude to science to the world of business and finance. “… with scientific forecasting and proper methods of management, satisfactory results were inevitable”

He described the 14 principles of management which should apply to most situations. They were

1. Division of Labour – the more people specialised the more efficient they become.

2. Authority - Managers must give order to get things done, and they need both formal and personal authority.

3. Discipline – Employees must respect the organisation’s rules and agreements

4. Unity of Command – Each employee must be under the authority of one manager

5. Unity of Direction – operations with the same objective need to be supervised by one manager

6. Individual interest must be subordinate to the common good – the interest of the organisation must take precedent over the employee’s interests.

7. Remuneration – compensation for work done must be fair to both employees and the organisation.

8. Centralization – While managers should retain the final responsibility, subordinates should be given appropriate authority to perform their tasks.

9. Hierarchy - Fayol created the hierarchal organisation with authority running from top management downwards to the lowest level.

10. Order – the right people should be put into the right positions, and the right equipment must be provided to perform the task.

11. Equity – while retaining the authority, managers should treat their subordinates fairly.

12. Staff Stability – high staff turnover is bad for business

13. Initiative - subordinates should have the freedom to suggest and carry out their ideas for improvement even if mistakes occur, and finally

14. Esprit de Corps – Promoting team spirit within the organisation leads to improved efficiency. One of the main ways to achieve that, according to Fayol, is with personal communication. How could I have forgotten that!

Now there is some food for thought among that list; and it was the first attempt to explain the responsibilities and procedures of successful managers. And what was more important was that Fayol believed that these skills could be taught.

It was these fourteen points of the ‘principles of management” that formed the basis for his contemporary Max Weber’s system which he labelled “bureaucracy” - yes it was his fault!!

In our search for simple solutions to complex questions we have, by focusing on his connection of scientific explanation to ‘inevitable’ results, elevated Fayol’s principles to rules – and have forgotten the lesson of history.

Fayol himself actually said this about these 14 principles:

“I prefer the word principles in order to avoid any idea of rigidity, as there is nothing rigid or absolute in administrative matters; everything is a question of degree. The same principle is hardly ever applied twice in exactly the same way, because we have to allow for different and changing circumstances, for human beings who are equally different and changeable, and for many other variable elements. The principles, too, are flexible, and can be adapted to meet every need; it is just a question of knowing how to use them.”

He was well aware that circumstances change, people differ and principles are not absolute.

So thank you Dave, for reminding me of where all the management theories which fill my bookshelves first started. And I think we can see quite a few of Fayol’s principles which have been converted into practice and over the years have been laid down as concrete absolutes to be taught to unwary students.

But if we listen to Fayol’s own words perhaps it becomes apparent that we have still to learn the lessons of history.

Michele @ Trischel

Dream the Possible Dream

Sometimes you meet someone who just inspires you … it might be what they have done with their lives; it might be their achievements or it might be their attitude that shines so brightly that they can light up their lives and yours.

Such a person is Mark Hunter.

When I first met Mark, I was immediately engaged with his humour; but only later did I understand the great determination that underlies who and what he is.

The second thing I noticed was the wheelchair – and this was personal as I had faced a real possibility of doing wheelies down the hospital corridors myself and it was more by luck than judgement that I avoided such a fate. So my first instinct was to sympathise… Mark knocked that patronising attitude on the head almost immediately. No-one could feel sorry for Mark Hunter, because Mark does not feel sorry for himself.

No; what Mark does is to inspire and excite you about the possibilities that surround us all; for that is how he has lived his life.

Mark fractured two vertebrae in his neck in an accident at the age of 22. He had just qualified as a teacher and at an age when life was seductively beckoning him to grasp the possible dream, a freak accident put him in a position where everything was – in a moment – snatched away.

“It was difficult getting back into teaching” he said “There was no-one teaching from a wheel chair and there was a belief in the system it couldn’t be done so I really had to fight for the right.” And fight he did.

He fought, not just for the right to continue in his chosen career, but against the many injustices that face the disabled. Knowing Mark, it is no surprise that he was successful. He is now the head teacher of Undurba State School, in Murrumba Downs; and it is possible that some of his success comes from the unique perspective he brings to problems - he claims to be a "consumate navel gazer!"

He also dreamed one more dream – that was to take the coveted trophy for The World Championship of Public Speaking. As a strong member of the Toastmasters International Organisation, Mark well knew that this was a trophy only occasionally won by members outside of America. But Mark had decided that eventually it should be he that would once more bring the trophy back to Australia.

His passion for public speaking began in 1995 and he brought to this dream the same determination that he had showed in pursuing his other passion, teaching. It appeared that he might have reached it when he was awarded third place in 2007 – but where some may have accepted that as the achievement, Mark did not. His aim was the title, and his focus was absolute, but it still seemed an impossible dream

And yet, this year, at the World Convention of Toastmasters International held in Connecticut, Mark finally realised that dream. His speech about the personal struggles he had overcome, and the life changing moment when faced with a sink full of green tomatoes and one red apple he was asked which would he rather do; blend in as a tomato or stand out as an apple - he chose the water.

His speech – about the unique definition of love – was received with acclamation by the audience as well as the judges – and Mark had reached the pinnacle and turned what appeared to be an impossible dream into a reality.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to hear from Mark himself just how we can put that determination into our lives and how success is often an outcome of perseverance? Well- you can!

Trish and I have counted Mark as a personal friend for many years, and we are delighted that Mark has agreed to be our guest speaker at the next Self-Development Breakfast on the 16th December.

What an opportunity to be inspired by this great speaker – don’t miss out, go to our website at http://www.trischel.com.au/ and scroll down to the links which will allow you to book your place at the breakfast table with the world champion of public speaking.

We all have dreams in our lives which we perhaps don’t believe we can achieve. And it is all too true that sometimes we give up just before we could have won. What we miss is that real determination to follow that dream and pursue it with perseverance.

Join us and Mark Hunter to find out how we can Dream Possible Dreams and make them come true for us just as they did for Mark.

Michele @ Trischel

The Importance of Communication

At a recent interview skills workshop we were discussing what skills you need to gain a job or to progress within your current job. In 2002 the Department of Education Science and Training (DEST) in conjunction with the Business Council of Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry produced the report Employability Skills for the Future which outlined the key Employability Skills that employers are looking for when hiring or promoting staff.

The eight skills that were identified are:
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Problem solving
• Initiative and enterprise
• Planning and organising
• Self-management
• Learning
• Technology

When applying for jobs and at your interviews it is essential that you are aware of these eight skills. Interviewers will ask you questions to determine which of these skills you have. Questions you may be asked include:

When has poor communication caused a problem in work?
Give an example when you successfully worked within a team?
Describe a situation where you had to solve a problem? What steps did you use?
What steps do you take to cope with change?
Describe a time when you had to meet an important deadline? How did you do this?
What software can you use?

The Employability Skill of Communication is defined as : contributes to productive and harmonious relations between employees and customers and incorporates:
• Listening and understanding
• Speaking clearly and directly
• Writing to the needs of the audience
• Negotiating responsively
• Reading independently
• Empathising
• Using numeracy effectively
• Understanding the needs of internal and external customers
• Persuading effectively
• Establishing and using networks
• Being assertive
• Sharing information
• Speaking and writing in languages other than English

Communication is not only an identified skill in its own right; you will also find aspects of communication in each of the other skills. Hence the emphasis we place on communication in our Interview Skills Workshops.

So in preparing for any interview remember the eight Employability Skills and prepare for the questions that will be asked by the interviewer. Remember the importance of Communication – you will be asked questions to determine your expertise in this Employability Skill. Ensure you have given yourself the best possible start by brushing up on your communication skills. Attend one of Trischel’s Public Speaking Workshops which will assist you in overcoming your nerves, help with your body language, vocal variety and presentation skills. Follow this with Trischel’s Interview Skills Workshop and you will find you have polished your Employability Skills and have given yourself the edge in the employment market.


Trish@Trischel