Keynote speakers provide inspiration and motivation to your business. They bring in their expertise to produce solutions to your business needs. Some speakers are funny, some are intelligent, very few are both. They should be able to give the audience members new ideas, practical tips, and inspiring stories that will motivate them take on your business challenges in a new way to drive results for the bottom line. When your company’s in a rut, it’s time to bring in a keynote speaker to provide the juice to your teams morale.

If you’re looking for keynote speakers for your next company meeting, seminar, or conference look no further than Andy Cohen.

Both intelligent and funny, Andy’s speeches leave an impression on everyone who attends. Using magic as a metaphor, he is able to include the audience into the presentation to create a truly interactive, engaging speech.

Tackling the issues that face your company, Andy delivers speeches on communication, leadership, and management. In each of these topics he will include real examples that the audience can relate too and act upon.

You can reach Andy by visiting his website at AndyCohen.com

I’ve been to keynote speakers that have made the audience fall asleep during the presentation and I’ve also been to keynote speakers that were alive with passion and everyone was hanging on each word coming out of his mouth. The boring ones are a waste of time for the employees, and the company. The ones that are great leave everyone wanting to work harder to achieve company goals.

There are many topics you can choose from when deciding on a keynote speaker. Your job in management is to choose the best keynote speaker that will deliver results that will help your business grow.

A weekly roundup of the best blog postings related to business issues:

Should CEOs Have Term Limits? - Transition of Power at Modern Magellans.

Estimated Tax: Self-Employed at glgcpa.blogspot.com.

Age and the entrepreneur, part 1: Some data at blog.pmarca.com.

Make Your Resume Pop With These Resume Writing Tips at The Frugal Law Student.

Tip: Measure Meetings With Action at Behance.

How Sales Managers Can Increase Participation in Sales Meetings at Landing the Deal.

Planning Your Career - What’s Important? at Alexander Hughes Selection.

Seven Deadly Sins of Leadership at BuildYourOwnBusiness.com.

What is Management Effectiveness? at Suite101.

The most meaningful way to say “Thank you” to your customers at Insightful Business Ideas.

A large part of what makes a meeting successful occurs in
the preparation phase. Although it may vary by committee,
department or unit, there are seven key responsibilities
expected of chairs or team leaders before a meeting takes
place. Each is explained in detail below.

1. Clarify purpose and aims. A clearly stated purpose or
aim describes the key decisions that must be made or
actions that must occur at the meeting. The purpose of a
meeting should be stated at the top of the meeting agenda.
Some example purpose statements might look something like:
• Share best practices in graduate recruitment and identify
opportunities to recruit collaboratively
• Identify priority goals for next year
• Examine and update admission criteria
• Decide how to get feedback from faculty, staff and
students
Everything else on the agenda including topics, times, and
presenters are the activities that, taken together, will
accomplish the aims. A weekly or monthly staff meeting may
not require meeting aims beyond the agenda items.

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Copyright © 2006 Deborah Torres Patel

Thorough meeting preparation alleviates anxiety. Good planning guarantees that meetings are relevant, don’t overrun and aren’t held back by uniformed, boring or disinterested attendees.  Follow these 19 timeless tips to keep your meetings on track and on time.

When preparing your agenda …

1. Identify the aim of your meeting

2. Put the most important items first

3. Establish a clear outcome for each point

4. Judiciously choose meeting invitees.  Ask yourself, “Who should attend?” “Should attendees be present for all or just part of the meeting?”

5. Place controversial points towards the end so the early part of the meeting can flow smoothly.

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Copyright © 2006 The National Learning Institute

How often have you sat in a meeting thinking “This is such a waste of time.  I have so many others things to do.  I wish I could be somewhere else”  Sound familiar?  I’m sure we all have had these thoughts at one time or another and maybe for some of us, it has been very recent!

My experience as a line manager, senior manager and organisational psychologist over the last thirty years, means that I have attended and run many meetings.  In my work, one of the most common complaints I get from all levels of the organisation, is that “We waste so much time here sitting around talking.  Nothing gets done as a result”.  Why are so many meetings a waste of time?

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Copyright © 2006 Marshall House

Everyone has a unique perspective of what constitutes an “energetic meeting.” Some may believe that an energetic meeting must be lively and fast-paced; others may believe that a meeting is energetic when they leave feeling energized and uplifted.

Regardless of your own personal viewpoint of energetic meetings, you can increase the likelihood that your meetings will be more satisfying by encouraging your group to adopt certain procedures as standard. Here are some key procedures, if you want participation in your energetic meetings.

Clarify Purpose. A group’s clear purpose right from its beginning helps all other considerations and actions to become clearer.

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