Dalbey Education Institute

Meeting Matters, Part II

I blogged a couple weeks back about picking smart places to host meetings outside your home office. This week, I want to cover another important topic: how to conduct a successful meeting.

It’s easy enough to sit in on a meeting – to listen and take notes. But what if you’re the one running the show? If being the group leader is unfamiliar to you, being in that position could be uncomfortable at first, but with a little planning you can host a successful meeting.

Here are some guidelines that will help you host productive meetings:

1. Decide if you even need to have a meeting. Even a short meeting requires time and energy to prepare for and host, especially if it will take you outside of your home office.

So, before you invest any time into making phone calls or even pull out your calendar, ask yourself:

“Is this something I can handle over the phone or with an email?”
“Can this wait until I have more topics to discuss all at once?”
“Will having this meeting bring benefits that outweigh the time and energy required?”

2. Set objectives. Before the meeting, sit down and decide what it is you want the meeting to be about. Make sure that your meeting objectives are concrete and realistic.

By laying out your expectations in advance, you’ll have some sort of measurement to help you evaluate the meeting afterwards. Setting objectives allows you to continuously improve your meeting process.

3. Draft an agenda. Once you’ve established your meeting objectives, write out an agenda listing the topics that will be covered and the names of the attendees who will be critical to each one. Email or give a printed copy of the agenda to all meeting attendees well in advance – that way, they’ll have plenty of time to prepare or research.

4. Stick to your agenda. It’s very easy to get off-task and for your meeting to be “derailed.” By using the agenda as a strict guide to the meeting’s flow, you’ll get a lot more accomplished.

I think it’s a good idea to say upfront what the meeting’s objective will be, too. “We’re meeting today to discuss X,Y and Z.” This is an easy way to keep everyone focused.

5. Assign “to do”s to each meeting topic. Don’t move on from an agenda item without deciding how and when to act on it. If a specific deadline or due date is appropriate, attach that as well. Making “action items” to address each issue helps guarantee that things will get done as necessary.

6. Finish with a review. At the end of the meeting, take a moment to reinforce what was accomplished during the meeting: “So, today we decided that we would XYZ and that by our next meeting we will have ABC ready.” Don't forget to thank everyone for their time and attention.

Warmly,
Russ

Founder of Winning in the Cash Flow Business
Dalbey Education Institute

Reflections on my visit to the Boys & Girls Club

Last week, I stood in front of a sea of the brightest, most beautiful faces I have ever seen. These eager, young faces belonged to some of the kids at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver. I was there to launch a new educational curriculum, an education and career development center, and an after-school program that the Dalbey Education Institute is sponsoring.

When I learned that one in four American youths – 14.3 million children! – are alone and unsupervised after school, I just had to do something.

After-school programs like the ones the Boys & Girls Clubs provide keep kids safe, help working families and inspire learning. The families and mentors at the Boys & Girls Club provide invaluable opportunities to help young people develop into successful adults. I’m all for that!

The 50-odd kids that I met ranged in age from eight to fourteen. What touched me the most was the hope I saw in their eyes. These are kids who haven’t had the easiest go of it; most come from lower-income families and from disadvantaged neighborhoods.

But, despite it all, they still have hope. And because this charitable organization has refused to let these kids slip through the cracks, they have been given a helping hand, and are on their way to a brighter future.

I know what it’s like to be that age – to not have any idea of how to get to where I wanted to be, and to be at a critical crossroads in life. I remember that when I was around 12 or 13, I had a vivid realization that life could be so much more than what I knew. The problem was that I just didn’t know how to go about getting there.

Like these kids, I was lucky: just in the nick of time, I was given a chance. I found the support and the guidance I needed. I found a mentor and I began to understand the power of goals and having self-worth.

That’s what makes organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs so very important and worthy of support, and why I’m thrilled to be helping them out.

During my visit to the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver, I spoke to the kids about my own experiences, and about setting goals and finding a mentor. I talked to them about the importance of working hard for what you want out of life, and about the choices we all face, and the power each of us has to make good ones.

I am excited to follow the progress of these kids and of the programs the Dalbey Education Institute is sponsoring. I’ll keep you posted as well!

Warmly,
Russ

Founder of Winning in the Cash Flow Business
Dalbey Education Institute

Where You Meet Matters

Where do you meet with clients?

If you're an entrepreneur, hosting a client meeting in your home-office might not be the best option. Your workspace might be small, located in the basement or garage, or you just might not feel comfortable inviting people to your home.

That’s okay. All you need to do is set up a meeting in a public place.

Remember: your professional reputation is not only built on what you do, but how you do it. And this applies to where you conduct your business, as well.

Finding the perfect place to have a meeting with a client or a prospective customer might require creativity, and sometimes a little compromise.

A coffee house, the library, a hotel lobby, or a corner of the local book store might work. Most of these places are conveniently located, relatively quiet, and have Internet access.

To decide, start by asking yourself: What is the meeting about? Is this your first meeting with this client? Is it a friendly, casual check-in with a long-time customer? Is it a meeting where some sensitive subjects will be discussed? The answers to these questions will help you determine where you should meet.

Wherever you choose, I recommend that you make a trip to the location to check it out before your meeting (at that time of day, too). Consider...

• What’s the overall ambiance and atmosphere? Is it youthful and hip, or mature and refined? What does the choice of meeting place say about you?
• Is it private enough, or is it too crowded/noisy?
• Does the location feel comfortable and look clean?
• Where will you sit? If you are meeting with a larger group, will everyone fit?
• Are there any elements that would serve to distract your client from your conversation?
• Will you have access to the Internet?

Then, ask yourself some questions about your client, such as:

• Is he or she the type of person that would be uncomfortable in this particular place?
• Will he or she have trouble finding the location or a spot to park?

Choose wisely and with an eye toward professionalism. Achieving your business goals requires active, personal involvement with customers, and picking the right place to meet will help you acheive that connection.

Finally, always remember how important first (and really all) impressions are. How you dress, your speech, your punctuality, and your body language and posture all create an impression on clients.

Even "the little things" do speak loud and clear about you... both as a professional, and as a person.

Warmly, 
Russ

Founder of Winning in the Cash Flow Business
Dalbey Education Institute

“Long live living long…”

Last month, Jack LaLanne turned 93 years old.

I recently heard the 'godfather of fitness,' as he is sometimes called, interviewed on the radio. This American legend is still going strong and pumping iron! What an inspiration.

There are many things about Jack’s life that I relate to on a very deep level.

He grew up in San Francisco and apparently had a rough childhood. He was very troubled and angry, and from the sounds of it, pretty unhappy. One of his problems, he has said, was being “addicted to sugar and junk food.”

But when Jack LaLanne was 15, something happened that would change his life forever. In 1930, he happened to hear a presentation by a man named Paul Bragg, a pioneer in the American health movement. Bragg’s simple message – that exercise, nutrition and diet have an enormous impact on every aspect of your life – had a profound effect.

From that day, Jack devoted his life to health and fitness. He has never turned back or wavered from his mission, and is determined to live life to the fullest even today.

His career over the decades has been – and still is! – amazing. He opened his first gym in 1936, and by 1980 he owned more than 200 health clubs across America (he eventually licensed his gyms to Bally Total Fitness).

The Jack LaLanne Show was the first-ever TV show devoted to exercise and health… and it was on the air for 34 years! He’s written books, appeared in films, designed exercise equipment, created a line of vitamin supplements, and successfully marketed a consumer juicing machine. Jack even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. What he has accomplished in one lifetime is nothing short of astounding.

Like Jack, I could have gone down a very different road than the one I ultimately chose. I grew up in a family with lots of love but not a lot of money. When I was young, I also was a bit aimless, a little wild. And, I too had a pivotal moment when my world changed.

For me, it was when I started working in a bike store in my hometown of Seal Point, CA. Something in me turned on… my life just opened up. I fell in love with cycling.

But more importantly, I had a purpose. For the first time, I had goals, and the desire to achieve them. From that job in a bike shop, I eventually worked up to becoming an Olympic-level cyclist. I learned that working hard, setting goals and committing to achieving them, and getting a great coach were the keys to success. I’ve used these ideas to help me in my career as a business person, and I’ve applied these lessons to my personal life as well.

When I think about the fact that at the age of 60, Jack swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf… handcuffed, his feet in shackles, and towing a 1,000-pound boat, I am truly awed. And when I hear Jack speak today about the importance of both physical and mental fitness, and how you must commit to health and well-being in your life (on all levels), I am inspired.
 
So although I have never known Jack LaLanne personally, I have a deep respect for his devotion to an ideal and for what he’s accomplished. And, I’ll continue to use his example as my motivation when I’m thinking: “I’m too old” or “I’m not sure I can do this.”

As Jack himself says: “Long live living long… and loving every minute of it!”

Warmly,
Russ

Founder of Winning in the Cash Flow Business
Dalbey Education Institute

P.S. Here’s the link to the recent Target TV commercial, which features Jack LaLanne at the end of it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHNpHisPUf8

"Mom, can I have a 'Hello Kitty' debit card?"

I’ve written quite a lot about teaching kids the skills they need to handle money. Granted, my boy isn’t even a year old yet, but now that I’m a dad, this subject is of keen interest to me.

I think it’s absolutely crucial to teach kids – even really young kids – not only the value of a dollar, but also the value of respecting, managing and investing your hard-earned money.

Here’s a great piece from The Today Show that offers some sage advice about helping children develop this important life skill.

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20974708/

Warmly,
Russ

Founder of Winning in the Cash Flow Business
Dalbey Education Institute

Do You Have a Gift to Give?

The Komen Denver Race for the Cure is this Sunday. This race raises money to find a cure for breast cancer, and for the last three years, The Race for the Cure in Denver has been the largest in the nation… 2007 may turn out to be another record breaker.

Last year, over 66,000 people participated, raising more than three million dollars. WOW!

Every one of those 66,000+ participants is an inspiration to me. They are actively trying to make positive change happen, in their own lives and in the lives of people all over the globe.

At the Dalbey Education Institute, we live a philosophy of “helping people help themselves.”

My staff and I do this through the personal guidance and education provided to the Institute’s students, the employment and advancement opportunities given to employees and the support we give to philanthropic and outreach organizations.

And this Sunday, a group of Dalbey Education Institute employees will join up with tens of thousands of others at the Race for the Cure, knowing that when each of us try to make a small difference, the result could be big changes.

So, I am issuing a challenge to all of you today: what are you doing to make change happen? To make a difference? To reach out to the community around you and contribute?

Sometimes we get so caught up in our own personal lives – the stress of the workday, raising kids, or paying bills and mortgages – that we forget to look outward.

Helping people help themselves can mean lots of different things. It can mean making a donation to a charity that’s dear to your heart… volunteering to benefit your own neighborhood… or mentoring a new employee in your office. The point is to find out how you can help and how you can contribute, and then to DO IT.

We ALL have gifts to give; whether it’s the donation of time, money, brain power, experience or empathy… it really doesn’t matter. The good intention behind the gift creates the power, and that positive impact carries further than you might think.

Warmly,
Russ

Founder of Winning in the Cash Flow Business
Dalbey Education Institute

Pure Genius

I come across inspirational words of wisdom all the time. Sometimes, I write them on a dry erase board in my workspace to remind me to stay positive, help me focus on my goals, and to keep me energized.

Here’s a wonderful quote from none other than the great Albert Einstein that I thought you’d like:

"The most important motive for work in life is pleasure in work, pleasure in its result, and the knowledge of the value of the results to the community."

In other words, what motivates your work should be the satisfaction that you get from the process and what comes of it. Because if you don’t take PLEASURE in your work, you won’t truly be happy.

It's as simple as that.

Warmly,
Russ

Founder of Winning in the Cash Flow Business
Dalbey Education Institute