For many problems and with many managers, there isn’t a lack of information. They are amply equipped with more than enough theories, processes, tools, principles, techniques, and reference guides to deal with the situation. And yet they don’t. The challenge isn’t in providing more know-how. It’s inspiring people to apply what they’ve already learned.

Here’s an example. I offer a workshop on meeting facilitation skills. In it I describe all the best practices that effective meeting facilitators use to create positive results. People shake their heads in agreement. Many of the ideas they tell me they already knew. And yet, they fess up that they don’t use these techniques, and many of their meetings go off the tracks. Why? The usual suspects are lack of time, support and self-discipline.

So what’s the right question? For most of us there are two questions.

1. Why don’t I use what I’ve learned?
2. What would help me start using what I know?

While these questions are primarily meant for work, they apply in other aspects of our lives too. Is there anyone trying to lose weight that doesn’t know the secret is decreasing calories and increasing exercise? If we already know this, why do we keep pursuing the next “big idea” in weight loss? Again, lack of information isn’t the problem.

I don’t pretend to know the answers to the two questions I’ve posed. Perhaps I can start by working on myself. If you think these questions are worth answering, ask them now. And when you’ve discovered (or perhaps already have) something worth sharing, I hope you will add your insights in the comments below.

Photo by CarbonNYC

One evening I was driving home after a long day of facilitating. I was tired and hungry. Suddenly down the road my oasis appeared. McDonald’s was at the next exit.

I had stopped at this same McDonald’s on a busy Friday evening a couple of weeks earlier. My experience then was mediocre at best. My expectations on this night were not high, but my choices were few and my stomach was empty.

As I placed my usual order, I noticed three baskets of uncooked fries hanging above the deep fryers. I also saw a few fries remaining under the heat lamps. Suddenly a little warning signal went off in the back of my head. I was going to get cold, soggy fries. Of course I couldn’t know for sure, but I was already preparing myself for disappointment.

The young boy who was helping me placed my burger and a soda cup on the tray and then went for the fries. I saw him hesitate ever so slightly. He scooped up some fries and began to walk towards me. Again he paused. Suddenly, he stopped and said, “These fries aren’t good enough.”

He turned to throw them away, along with those under the heat lamps. He put all three baskets into the fryers, and we began to wait those long three minutes.

The folks running the drive-up window started frowning as cars backed up. The rest of the front-end staff shuffled aimlessly as they waited for fries. I watched the timers move down from three minutes towards zero. It seemed as if time was standing still.

We all waited because a boy who appeared to be no older than 14 “pulled the cord” and stopped the line. It seemed like a brave thing to do. It was also the right thing to do. Those were the best fries I ever had.

Photo by evelynishere

Everyone has been in a meeting or part of a group where an elephant is in the room, but nobody is willing to say anything about it. The elephant is that person, idea, product, or department that people are afraid to challenge.

The story of The Emperor’s New Clothes is a classic example of this phenomenon in action. As the emperor paraded proudly and nakedly in front of the people, everyone clapped and cheered as they imagined they should, until a young boy pointed out the obvious.

Teams that are successful learn how to deal with their elephants. Are you dealing with yours?

Many people know the techniques that help make a meeting effective and yet there are so many bad meetings. What gives?

I think courage is part of the answer. There are at least two instances in meetings that require courage. The first is when we are leading a meeting and want to try a new tool or process. Courage helps us overcome the fear that what we try won’t work, and we’ll look dumb. Find the courage with this simple thought. You have nothing to lose. The meeting isn’t working as is. It can only get better, and you may as well be the one who tries to do something about it.

The second situation is when you know what to do, but are not the leader. By making a suggestion you risk someone getting mad at you, especially the leader. Overcoming this fear is easy when you remember two things. First, everyone in the meeting is responsible for the meeting’s outcome; not just the leader. Second, if the meeting is going badly, most people will be delighted to have a suggestion that helps them out of a desperate situation.

If you’re ready to improve meetings, begin by finding your courage. Once you’ve got that, the rest is just about practice.