Suckification reduction devices

Jon Petz has christened his tips for breaking bad habits and building better meetings Suckification Reduction Devices (SRDs, for short). Here are three SRDs for creating better off-site events:

1. Communication goes both ways at these events. If you communicate to your audience but do not request feedback, they can feel isolated. Real-time response is easier than ever with today’s technology. Twitter is a great meeting enhancer.

2. Create ROI measurements before the event. How are you going to measure how habits have changed? Were new ideas executed? Were they understood, or does it result in a “do over” meeting three months later because nobody really got what you wanted them to walk away with?

3. Attendees should know why they are attending. Once ROI measurements are defined, they should be communicated to all attendees. Failing to communicate the key messaging points and company initiatives can result in inconsistent experiences.

“Unless you have structure and goals for your meeting, then it’s just a fun day off for many attendees. If you hope to ignite this team to greater productivity, cohesion and focus, then you must realize the need for planning,” Petz says. “Just being at an off-site location, smearing mud on your faces and roasting marshmallows over the fire will not cause these things to happen.”

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