Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Many of us feel that we spend too much time in unproductive meetings when we could be getting on with some 'real' work. Well, meetings are real work and effective meetings are the springboard for great results. Brilliant Meetings gives you the tips, tools and techniques to transform all your meetings into positive experiences. It shows you how to:

Brilliant Meetings gives you a commonsense, workable and practical approach to making all meetings brilliantly effective, for participants, meeting leaders and organisations.

Companion website: http://www.meetingexpert.co.uk

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• 1 Next Time You Participate In a Brilliant Meeting
• Introduction
• 1 Using meetings to advance your career
• First impressions
• Choose your seat
• Personal "Elevator Pitch"
• Making the right contributions
• Positive language
• 2 Meeting Ground Rules
• Meeting Ground Rules - ACTION PLAN
• 3 Before the meeting
• Meeting invitation
• Review the Agenda
• Considering your contributions
• 4 Contributions and presentations
• Planning your contribution
• Structuring your contribution
• Contribution/presentation delivery options
• Microsoft PowerPointÖ
• Handouts
• Delivering content
• Checklist - Brilliant contributions and presentations
• 5 During the meeting
• Choosing your attitude
• Creating your positive attitude
• Questioning Techniques
• Body language
• 6 Blagging It!
• If all else fails
• 7 After the meeting
• Leaving the room
• Meeting actions
• Communicating outcomes
• Summary and Brilliant Checklist
• 2 Next Time You Prepare For a Brilliant Meeting
• Introduction
• 8 Why has the meeting been scheduled?
• Meeting purpose
• Meeting objectives
• Meeting title
• Essential meeting logistics
• Constructing the Agenda
• Costs and benefits
• 9 Who needs to be invited?
• Choosing your participants
• Who to leave out
• Assign meeting roles
• 10 When should the meeting be scheduled?
• Meeting date
• Travel
• Time of day
• Duration
• 11 Where should the meeting take place?
• Venue considerations
• "More Work - Less Traffic"
• Facilities
• 12 What else needs completing?
• Reinforce ground rules
• Distribute briefing notes
• Collate presentations
• Schedule catering and breaks
• Meeting notes
• Meeting invitation
• Additional preparation
• 13 In Room Meeting Resources -
• If You've Got Them -
• Use Them
• Flip charts and whiteboards
• Projectors, plasma and LCD Displays
• Audio and video conferencing
• Remote presenter
• Interactive whiteboard
• Visualiser / document camera
• Response systems
• Telepresence
• Summary and Brilliant Checklist
• 3 Next Time You Lead a Brilliant Meeting
• Introduction
• 14 Setting the tone
• First impression
• Opening statement
• Housekeeping issues
• Meeting Reminders
• Working with a new group
• Reaching decisions
• 15 During the meeting
• Managing the agenda
• Managing and encouraging contributions
• Questioning techniques
• Dealing with challenging behaviour
• Recognising body language
• Dealing with conflict situations
• Interruptions
• Impromptu meetings
• 16 Concluding the meeting
• CLOSE on a high!
• 17 Same Time - Different Place
• Multi-location, but one leader
• Introductions
• Cultural differences
• Managing participation
• Meeting evaluation
• 18 After the meeting
• Evaluate meeting feedback
• Managing follow-up actions
• Wider communication
• 19 Do something different
• Aroma
• Music
• Personal check-Ins
• Ice breakers
• Exercise and nutrition
• Flipchart fun
• The attention grabber
• Breakout groups
• Take away
• Summary and Brilliant Checklist
• 4 A Brilliant Meeting Everytime
• Introduction
• 20 The Organisational benefits
• Do bad meetings really exist?
• Effect a change to a positive meeting experience
• Understanding why people meet
• Do effective meetings matter?
• How much do Brilliant Meetings cost?
• The Brilliant Meeting effect on: Employees
• Customers
• Corporate Social Responsibility targets
• Aim to be Brilliant -
• Make Meetings Matter