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A.I.M. to Have Successful Zoom Meetings
Jennifer Schmidt, EH2
Football players know exactly how to have champions, and Toastmasters stand out? They
short, efficient meetings. Known as huddles, work with an agenda and they invite the needed
they are constantly meeting during a football players to the field. A lot of planning goes
game to share vital information. Directives into what they want to achieve. They know
from the quarterback are clear: “you throw, unfocused meetings are unsuccessful meetings.
you catch, you block.” Of course, specific plays The main parts of an awesome agenda include
are more complex than that, but the goal is to an introduction, topics you’ll discuss, and a
score as quickly as possible. With the Olympics follow-up plan. When you send out your agenda,
concluding this month, I thought if you could it gives your attendees a framework to think
combine the precision of Olympic archery with about the topics ahead of time. No need to make
the frankness of football, it would be a great way it long or fancy.
to ensure a successful Zoom meeting. The next
time you plan to lead a meeting, consider using Focus on a Fabulous Intention
Agenda, Intention, and Movement or A.I.M. Agendas are a great first step for planning
for a more focused, intentional, and timely but having a focused intention takes that plan
experience. to the next level. You could discuss all sorts of
items on your agenda, but without knowing the
Ace an Awesome Agenda overarching goal in the first place, your whole
Have you ever received a Zoom invitation meeting lacks purpose. Sure, it’s fun to chat
without an agenda? (Run!) Or at least ask if they’ll but if that’s all you do, that’s socializing, not
have an agenda, because otherwise you will problem-solving. Athletes and Toastmasters
enter a free-flowing, unorganized meeting that can easily answer the why question. Usually,
encompasses too many topics that take forever they’ll meet to foster teamwork, practice their
to discuss. Does that sound like “fun”? Zoom skills, and ultimately achieve their goals. If you
meeting fatigue is no surprise because Zoom ever watched an Olympic archery champion,
meetings are super convenient, making them a you noticed that everything they do is focused.
perfect field for unmanaged time. There’s no real Methodically they’ll pull back their bow string
need to leave your video chat because you don’t and arrow with only their target in mind. Every
have to physically leave. You just click a link and movement and moment is being utilized to
you’re there along with a captive Zoom audience. achieve their goal. There’s no doubt about what
What makes football players, archery they need to do and why. If you have that same
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