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How to save a meeting - technology challenges (infographic)

Statistics, problems, and solutions from infographic at https://www.techrepublic.com/article/infographic-the-wrong-tech-can-ruin-your-meeting-heres-how-to-fix-it/

Disagreements are inevitable. Use these tips to make them productive instead of petty.

From https://www.inc.com/kat-boogaard/6-key-tips-to-respectfully-disagree-with-someone.html

6 Smart Ways to Disagree With Someone Respectfully

What a world it would be if we all agreed on absolutely everything. But, as you already know, that's just not reality.

We all have our own thoughts, opinions, and values -- which means disagreements can be pretty common, especially in the workplace.

However, there's a big difference between just disagreeing and disagreeing respectfully. The first will likely cause hurt feelings and only add fuel to an already tense fire. But, the second? That approach can lead to new ideas and a much more productive discussion.

Unfortunately, it's all too easy to get so wrapped up in your own beliefs that all common courtesy goes straight out the window. So, as a friendly reminder, here are six key tips for disagreeing with someone -- respectfully, of course.

1. Focus on Facts

A strong argument is one that uses facts over opinion. But, that can be difficult to remember when you're in the middle of a disagreement.

However, a respectful -- not to mention compelling -- disagreement is one that prioritizes logic over your emotions about the situation. So, don't forget to place your emphasis on the reasoning and information supporting your disagreement.

Not only will that make you much more convincing, but it'll also make it clear that this isn't personal.

2. Don't Get Personal

Speaking of getting personal, it's something you want to avoid at all costs when disagreeing with someone -- particularly in a professional setting.

Obviously, that means you shouldn't put down the other person or attack his or her ideas and beliefs. That's not at all helpful or productive.

Instead, focus on illustrating why you feel the way you do. Remember, your goal is to effectively present your ideas -- not to just poke holes in the other person's.

3. Recognize the Good

Yes, you're disagreeing with this person. But, rarely is a suggestion so bad that you can't find a single nugget of wisdom hidden in there somewhere.

Before launching right in with your argument, it's best if you can preface it with something that you like about that person's original suggestion -- and then use that as a launching point for your own idea.

For example, something like, "I definitely think you're on the right track in saying that we need to improve our customer response time. But, what if we did it this way instead?" shares your idea in a way that's friendly and collaborative -- and not at all accusatory.

4. Remember to Listen

There's a trap that's all too easy to fall into when you find yourself in the middle of a disagreement: Rather than actively listening, you're just sitting there waiting for your chance to respond.

Unfortunately, conversations where you're completely tuning the other person out are never productive. So, remember to actually listen to the points your conversational partner is presenting. You might be surprised -- you could end up finding an even better solution that way.

5. Use "I" Statements

Which one of the following statements sounds more harsh and critical?

"You always come up with these big ideas so close to the deadline that you only make things harder for everybody."

"I see where you're coming from, but I'm concerned we might be getting too close to the deadline for major changes."

Chances are, the first one made you recoil just a little bit. This example is an adequate representation of why it's best to use "I" statements when disagreeing with someone. It's just another subtle way to illustrate that your disagreement isn't a personal attack.

No, effectively disagreeing isn't all about sugarcoating what you're trying to say. But, making even this small effort to soften your language can make a big difference in how your message is received.

6. Know When to Move On

That cliché catchphrase "agree to disagree" is oft-repeated for a reason: It can be a handy sentiment to lean on when you need it.

Perhaps one of the most important pieces of respectfully disagreeing with someone is knowing when you need to just call it quits and move on.

No, it's not always easy to swallow your pride and walk away -- particularly when you feel strongly about your side. But, sometimes it's the best thing you can do.

Disagreements are inevitable. But, there's definitely a wrong way and a right way to present your own arguments.

Implement these six key tips, and you'll be able to disagree in a way that's effective, professional, and always respectful.

By Kat Boogaard The Muse @kat_boogaard

Make meetings work for you with these two tactics.

From https://www.inc.com/nick-hobson/how-emotionally-intelligent-people-run-meetings.html

By Nick HobsonBehavioral scientist@NickMHobson

How Emotionally Intelligent People Run Meetings

For many founders, meetings are the ultimate time-waster. More than ever, meetings are being forced down people's throats. It's OK. You can say it: They're a royal pain.

Personal gripes aside, research has shown that meetings have increased in both length and frequency over the past 50 years. In the '60s and '70s, leaders spent roughly 10 hours a week in meetings; now it's upwards of 25. Meetings for meeting's sake happen all too frequently. It's begun to impinge on individual productivity and, as a result, negatively influence large-scale company success.

Busy entrepreneurs simply can't afford wasted time; nor can their startup's bottom line. This is evident to the best performers. They schedule their days and weeks to get the most out of meetings and optimize their behavior. And in building these systems, they leverage what's called "smart emotional design." 

That is, they plan, schedule, and run meetings knowing how human emotions work. They meet with emotional intelligence.

Here are the two best habits people high in emotional intelligence use when optimizing for meetings in their day.

1. They set the meeting location wisely.

The first thing to realize is that the conversation during meetings happens long before you actually meet and begin talking. Most people don't know this. Doing so requires a bit of foresight in planning, but the effort pays dividends down the road in terms of getting the most out of the meetings.

Consider that busy founders are always running off to external meetings to pursue potential business partnerships. Those high in emotional intelligence choose the location of these meetings wisely. They have in mind a few key spots they can suggest for an in-person gathering.

Choosing a more stimulating environment works wonders. Here are just three easy examples:

1. A unique and trendy coffee shop over your standard Starbucks
2. A room with an outside view of some greenery; better yet, a "green" room with lots of natural sunlight and plants (side note: green rooms boost cognitive performance)
3. A "walking" meeting in which you can get these benefits on top of the added bonus of stimulating creative thinking and fostering a sense of trust and cooperation through effective nonverbal communication

High emotional intelligence says that an exciting environment makes everything else seem more exciting to another person, including the other people in the meeting. It's the result of what psychologists call the misattribution of emotions--humans are pretty bad at pinpointing the exact source of what's affecting their mood, whether good or bad.

In other words, having a meeting in an interesting place will lead those present to feel greater excitement and be in a more positive mood. Due to mental misattribution, the attendees might not be able to identify the exact cause of that pleasant feeling state. But the brain needs answers. So it takes a shortcut--called heuristics--and says the positive feelings must be the result of what's immediately in front of them: the person and his or her words.​

2. They start the meeting by priming it with positivity.

Meetings require a bit of a ramp-up instead of jumping in. It's a matter of easing oneself into it. Though small talk is often seen as a time-waster, research has found that it is important for building rapport and trust. This seemingly irrelevant element of a meeting actually increases the chances that it will lead to something good.

Not just any kind of small talk will do, though. Emotionally intelligent people are careful to stay away from the common topics. Instead of starting with "How about those [insert local sports team here]!" emotionally intelligent people are more strategic and creative in their pre-meeting chitchat. What they do is prime the attendee to enter into a positive mental state. They use the pliability of these feel-good states to their advantage.

Here are a couple of examples:

1. An internal meeting can begin with a conversation around a recent success story in the company, one in which the person you're meeting with had a direct hand.
2. An external meeting can start with addressing a person's recent wins and accomplishments. In both cases, the key lies in the attendee's willingness to disclose and share the positive experience. Get him or her to talk.

Priming people with feel-good emotions at the beginning of a meeting gets them (and their brains) into a favorable state called broaden and build. The brain state leads people to broaden their perceptual experience and see other things, though unrelated, through a glow of positivity.

The result: When the actual meeting begins, the halo effect of the initial small talk makes bad things good, and good things great. High emotional intelligence people apply this knowledge and steer the meeting topics accordingly.

Keep in mind, however, that there are times when the opposite holds true--when, despite your best attempts, negativity gets primed instead. Emotionally intelligent people are careful to avoid certain meeting topics once they recognize that those types of small talk create a venting session of a person's complaints and objections. Why? Because everything that follows the venting will be tainted by the negative emotions felt by the person.

PUBLISHED ON: MAR 7, 2018

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.