Thirty minutes into a 10 minute agenda item, boredom and frustration kicked in mightily among the group. The presenter had been told she had a maximum of 10 minutes for a “brief summary overview” of a project. This person was seasoned, and smart, so she had to know the word brief meant “of short duration.” The words summary and overview were also strong clues. Yet at 3 times the allotted limit, she was still going.
What went wrong?
This isn’t an unfamiliar or uncommon scenario to many of us and it happens more than it should. How does someone miss the cue card for staying within the given time for a presentation, a meeting or even an impromptu, “do you have a couple minutes?” office drive-by?
There are a few main reasons this happens:
1- The person isn’t thinking about the limit and the rest of the agenda, only what they need to communicate on their behalf to make their point;
2- They haven’t prepared to deliver a succinct and clear message, so they end up wasting words and time;
3- There isn’t a meeting facilitator or leader who is willing to take the reins back and regain control of the meeting and situation.
What’s the worst thing that can happen? Plenty.
· If it’s a habit for certain individuals to always go over, others may start to question his or her ability to manage and steward their own time;
· It may send a signal they don’t respect everyone else’s time;
· Others may stop engaging with the individual because they know they’re signing up for a larger time sacrifice than is available or necessary to discuss even a quick question;
· If every meeting goes an average of 15 minutes over, and the average executive spends 23 hours per week in meetings, that’s almost a 6-hour waste. (HBR, August 2017) The greatest opportunity costs for leaders occur for deep thinking and completing actual work, according to a study by Steven Rogelberg and his team at The University of N.C.;
· After one hour in a meeting, half of the attendees have checked out, missing pertinent information (meetingking.com).
How can we all become better at being brief?
· Plan what you’re going to say ahead of time – always. What’s the one key take away you want others to have? How can you get them there in two to three points? Hit the headlines. If people want more information, they’ll ask for it.
· Practice so you know how much time you’re going to take. Mark Twain said it best, “It takes at least three weeks just to prepare a good ad lib speech.” Even if it’s not a power presentation but rather a small portion of a meeting, the rule of practicing still applies. If you try to “wing it”, those wings will take you someplace you don’t need to go.
· Remind yourself that time is a finite resource. Whether it’s two people or 20, everyone in the room has multiple priorities. Yours, and the rest of those, must fit into their mental bandwidth. Be memorable by mastering making your point in as little time as possible vs. being the one who sucked the air out of the room. Less truly is more.
“Be sincere. Be brief. Be seated.” Franklin D. Roosevelt – BRAVO, F.D.R.
We don’t have to be Einstein to know the importance of asking the right questions. The late 
· ACTIVE LISTENING is one of the four key identifiers of high emotional intelligence (Inc., May 2017).
This concept can also translate to professional and working relationships. Is anyone else noticing that follow through and follow up are increasingly becoming amiss? What’s causing this? Are certain individuals prone to the pattern based on their situation or style?
Aggressively use and honor your calendar. Have you promised someone you would follow up next month? Put it on your calendar right then. We’re all wired continuously, so there are no excuses.
However, healthy creativity, can unfold in many ways in any functional area. Most everyone can unleash this skill when they allow themselves the opportunity.
At the beginning of each year, many feel internal and/or external pressure to make the traditional New Year’s resolutions. Those arguing resolutions are too esoteric may pen more measurable and realistic aspirations, or goals. Some opt out of the ritual altogether. Whatever camp you’re in, let me suggest changing up or even expanding upon your approach for this year.
This year my word is MEaningful. As I turn 55, I don’t want to waste any more time on situations or issues that don’t bear significance and true meaning for what’s important to ME. The freedom to decide where I do and don’t invest my time feels liberating as a new chapter will be written this year. Since time is an “appreciable asset,” it is increasingly becoming one of my most important.
As we read most any business publication, watch 
To honor the integrity of culture, we must all walk the talk, as the old saying goes. It’s not only what we claim about culture, it’s about what we do at the inner-most tactical levels of the organization – whether it’s driving financials or any other metrics by which we define and measure success.
In one firm, this act is believed in and passionately embraced and lived out by the top leader. He epitomizes grace and embraces the concept with most every action. How does it show up? By giving everyone the benefit of the doubt, by believing at his core his team wants to do their best, and that their mistakes are a blessing and necessity in improving their climb toward more personal and organizational growth. He is vulnerable and transparent, humbly admitting his own mistakes first, and confessing when he doesn’t have the answer. He seems to be forever grateful, positive and kind. Everyone who knows him professes his essence as true, unadulterated leadership at the core.
What have I concluded? Grace is not reserved for spiritual contextualization only. It is meant to be in the trenches with us every day – in life and at work. To truly honor ourselves and others we have to live from grace. It’s an ongoing act that needs to show up over and over again. Show me a top leader that practices grace, and I’ll show you the healthiest of organizational cultures with thriving leaders and team members, loyalty of all stakeholders as well as long term and sustainable financial results.
My husband tried to prepare me more than once, “You’ll leave something there, but you’ll take something far better out with you.” As we started the trek from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon at 5:30 a.m. with two of our five kids, his advice kept repeating in my head. Yes, I anticipated nature’s splendor, expected physical discomfort and was counting on reaching the opposite rim before dark. What else could possibly happen in THE canyon that would be so impactful?
There was a complete surrender to the conditions that were out of our control – the heat, the terrain and the altitude. We could only control the training undertaken in our preparation and making sure we consumed sufficient water and nutrition the day of the hike. Having never trained in these exact conditions, we weren’t sure how our bodies would react. We found out quickly. The temperature variance was 50 degrees in about 4 hours and the elevation difference was about 6,000 feet for both rims. We absolutely knew we weren’t in Kansas anymore.
In the canyon I became intimately present with myself and my Creator. It was transforming to experience the diverse and breathtaking beauty, the connection with nature and to hear only the internal beat of the drummer. The many proven benefits of connecting with nature were illuminated.
I can hardly wait! As a “wanna be” chef, the thought of creating Thanksgiving dinner makes me excited beyond words. Cooking trumps many of my interests. It sets off a certain creativity within me that soothes my soul. The only recipe I’ll be following on Turkey Day is pumpkin pie – because that’s baking, not cooking.
SPICY leaders tend to bring out or evoke instant reaction. There is usually immediacy in words and behaviors. You never have to guess where they stand.
SAVORY leaders, on the other hand, hit our palettes slowly, much like a well-seasoned stew or marinated meat with just the right ingredients and timing. They gradually have an impact on our approach to situations and even our longer-term development. Their savory style affects how we view everything from annual goals to bigger picture planning.