Do you have a door mat Whatsapp group?

 

Do you have one or several? I am in some WhatsApp groups which are not particularly important. I don't read all the messages. I get those good morning and generic motivational messages. There are many messages in such groups - a lot of noise. Sometimes there is useful information, but the signal-to-noise ratio is low. There is one particular way I use these unimportant groups which stops me from leaving. They are my door mats. Let me explain. 

I use WhatsApp groups and messages heavily in my work. They are my inbox. My to-do list. When messages come in, usually I can read parts of them from the phone notification system. I don't necessary have to open them. I often don't want to open them yet, because a chat group or a chat with another person with unread messages means a task I need to do. I use the unread status as my to-do list. If I read a message, and there is something I need to do about it, I prefer to get it done immediately. For example simply responding to it. Or sometimes I need to get something else done which may take more time. When I can't complete the task immediately, I get a little anxious because that chat is no longer unread. I might forget that I need to do something because there is no unread status to remind me. 

This is how unimportant groups help me. If I read a message snippet from a notification and I know there is something I need to do, but I don't have time yet, I don't open the message. I stay in one of my unimportant groups. I know it is safe to ignore messages from the unimportant group. It is my door mat I can stand on without "dirtying" my other important chats. I don't want to click into my important chats and lose the unread status. 

Does anyone else do this? Or do you use WhatsApp or messaging apps in your own unusual way? 

"Even if you never give up, you may never succeed either."

 

I came across this "motivational video" recently and had a good laugh. We are often flooded with motivational quotes on social media, and this video pokes fun at such quotes. Being a trainer, I am supposed to be positive and encouraging, and I should not be posting such things on my social media. However this "motivational quote" brings out two important points we should think about. 

1. Success is not only about persistence. It is also about working smart and being able to learn. If we are not ready to learn and grow, we may never achieve success because we keep doing the same wrong things. 

2. What is your definition of success? Sometimes you should reexamine that. This sounds like giving up on your original goal, but it is part of learning and growing. With more experience and knowledge, you may find your original goal no longer valid or truly important. Then you must redefine your goal and focus on what is truly important. 

Conducting effective meetings tip #6 - pre-reading

 

Read the materials beforehand. For complex issues, handouts should be distributed beforehand, and everyone is responsible to read them before the meeting. Meeting time should not be spent by the presenter reading a document or a set of slides. You should immediately go into the key discussion points or address clarification questions. If no one has questions or concerns about the proposal, the meeting can end in 15 minutes. Or you don't need to have the meeting. 

Conducting effective meetings tip #5 - the plank meeting

OK this might be a bit extreme. A more common one is the stand-up meeting. You meet while standing, so that the meeting won't go too long. You'd be tired standing so long, not to mention look weird. This is a physical way of forcing yourself to be efficient. 

Conducting effective meetings tip #4

 

Document the decisions and action items. Send them to every attendee. They must read and if they disagree with what the minute taker has written, they must raise it for correction. With clear documentation, you don't waste time debating how you remember the last meeting. It must be clear who has responsibility to take which action. A meeting must lead to action, otherwise it is pointless. 

Conducting effective meetings tip #3

 

Be clear on the agenda. What are you trying to achieve in this meeting? What should you have decided before you leave the room? Tell everyone the agenda beforehand. Everyone must come prepared to discuss it. If there is no clear agenda, cancel the meeting. 

The trainer as the messenger

 

One client recently said to me, "I have been telling my people these messages, but as I keep saying the same things, they get numb and the messages don't get through. So I need you as an outside expert to convey these messages."  This is certainly not uncommon. It is the same reason teenagers don't listen to their parents but listen to some uncle they have just met. Playing such a role can be challenging. Changing people and their mindsets is not easy, but when can do that, we impact lives.