INTENT
Your word salad might be sending people to sleep: 39% of employees have nodded off in a meeting. Get your intent right- avoid the big snooze.
Clear intentions
I believe that every conversation needs a goal, intent. And it's our job to decide that before we kick off that meeting, preso or Zoom call. Meetings and conversations are an investment of our time and a commitment from others. Not an excuse for a snooze.
Why is intent so important?
Lack of intent leads to lack of results. US $37 billion is wasted annually on pointless conversations at work in the US alone.
Clear intent creates productive outcomes. Most employees spend 33% of their time in meetings, in fact about 60 meetings every month.
Sleep is just the start of it. Gathering highly paid leaders, teams and board members in a room without a clear goal is unlikely to end well for your project, or for you. I have seen a lack of intent in some conversations turn into full blown arguments and even dismissal.
OUCH!
Very expensive salad
Without a goal for our conversations we can turn a productive gathering into meaningless word salad. Costly and boring are two of my least favourite outcomes.
Intent is the goal of your conversations: what do you want from the conversation and from your audience? It is the reason you are inviting others to communicate with you. It's the whole point.
Ready to rock
Being clear on intent means others can contribute. They know your intention before they get in the room or join the Zoom. Clear intent allows your audience to engage. They know what is needed from them. They are ready to rock!
We have all been in one of those meetings thinking "Where is this going?..."Why am I here?"...I have actual work to do!"...And we shut down before we fire up.
ZZZZzzzzzzzzz!
Right from the start: ask yourself:
What am I trying to achieve?
What do I want from others?
Who needs to be involved?
Why am I inviting them?