I had the great pleasure of delivering a virtual talk to the brokers of 1st State Brokerage Company, which is a part of the Symmetry Financial Group. Please click on the Symmetry logo below to view the talk. I would like to thank Shawn Shannon and Jennifer Parkhurst for allowing me the opportunity to speak to this fantastic group of professionals.   ​

How many hours do you spend in meetings each week?

We've all heard the term, "Death by meeting, " but what do meetings cost a company in terms of money and productivity?

According to an article by the career development company, Zippia (Flynn 2/13/2023), here are some interesting statistics about meetings:

 - In the United States, there are 55 million meetings held each week, which means there are over 1 billion meetings held each year.

 - The average worker reports they spend 3 hours per week in meetings, with 30% of workers saying they spend over 5 hours per week in meetings.

 - Organizations spend roughly 15% of their time in meetings, with surveys showing 71% of those meetings are considered unproductive. Only 11% of meetings are considered beneficial.

 - Workers spend an average of 31 hours per month in unproductive meetings.

 - An estimated $37 billion is lost each year to unproductive meetings.    

 - 65% of employees agree that meetings keep them from completing their work. 

 - From 2020 to 2021, the number of meetings attended by workers has increased by almost 13%, while the average length of time of those meetings has decreased by over 20%.

According to Zippia, a "good" meeting should last no more than 15 minutes and should have no more than 10 people at the table or online.

Please check out the video below to learn what one CEO observed about meetings in his company and what he did to decentralize leadership so not as many meetings were necessary.

Also, please leave me a comment about your thoughts on what makes for a productive meeting. 

The quote, "All gave some, some gave all," is attributed to Korean War veteran, Howard William Osterkamp. That is an appropriate quote as we remember the men and women who gave their lives in defense of this great country.

We know what our soldiers, airmen, sailors, marines, and guardians have given, and continue to give every day, but what have YOU given? What have YOU contributed toward the betterment of your country, your state, or your community?

Are you an engaged citizen who holds our elected representatives responsible for the decisions they make? Are you an interested citizen who challenges the media when they report on current events to make sure the reporting is fair, honest, and unbiased? Are you an educated citizen who understands the history of our republic and the good and bad decisions that got us to this point?

According to a 2022 Pew Research study, in 1960, 75% of Americans believed that the federal government would almost always do the right thing. In 2020, that number had dropped to just under 20%.

​Over 90% of immigrants pass the U.S. Citizenship exam, yet 2 out of 3 Americans are unable to pass the test. ​

Most of us will mark Memorial Day as the unofficial start of summer. We might get together with friends and family for fellowship and food. But will we take even a few moments to  remember the men and women who gave their lives in defense of the ideals the United States of America was founded upon, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?   

Those standards were fought for and paid for in blood. Many men and women gave all so that you and I can have the benefits of living in our great country. Their families understand the importance of a day set aside to honor and remember them. 

Will you take a few minutes on this Memorial Day to remember those individuals and their families who answered the call and gave their lives for our freedom?   

What (or whom) do you use to rally yourself or others when times get difficult?

When situations are challenging, people rally around all types of things or people to provide them with hope and allay their fears. Some teams will join forces around a particular mission, such as a squad in the military, others may unite around a certain dollar amount, such as a sales force attempting to keep the company afloat, and still, others will come together around a revered mascot or retiring coach, such as when a team needs to win a big game. 

But regardless of the rallying point, most groups need someone to lead them during hard times. 

How do great leaders encourage their staff or units to do what is necessary even when the outcome is unknown?  

An article in Inc. magazine (Murphy Jr. 3/10/2014), lists nine things great leaders do in difficult times to inspire their teammates:

1. Control your fear - Courage doesn't mean the absence of fear, but it does mean you can't allow your fear to spread to the other members of the team. 

2. Remember that the mission comes first - You owe your team a worthy goal and your willingness to do whatever is necessary to accomplish that goal. 

3. Remember the mission comes before you, too - That means you are willing to put your short-term needs aside to do what is necessary to complete the mission. 

4. Rely on your preparation - Practice, preparation, and training are all things that should be continuously discussed and repeated so you can adapt and act quickly during hard times. 

5. Be tough, but human - Your team needs to know you are up to the challenge, but that you also see things through the eyes of a human being.

6. Encourage your people - A leader understands that it is their responsibility to support and encourage the members of the group no matter how bleak the outlook appears.

7. Communicate effectively - The leader must effectively and efficiently let everyone know what is going on and how they can assist in making sure the goal is achieved.

8. Use your resources wisely, but use them - Identify what resources are available to help the group accomplish the mission and make sure those supplies are made available to the team.

9. Imitate the leaders who inspire you - Before things get difficult, a leader should have mentors and role models who exhibit good leadership traits and skills. When times get hard, the leader can fall back on what he or she has learned from those advisers.

Watch the video below and learn about the unique item the head of the New York City Opera used to rally her employees when the organization was going through trying financial times in the late 1970s.

Also, please leave me your thoughts on things you have used to motivate or encourage your teams during demanding times.