William McGinnis

President & Director of Meeting Facilitation @Professional Meeting Facilitator, Llc

US

Meetings consume a much too large portion of our lives. They are often mismanaged, go nowhere, and fail to provide conclusive direction. People hire me to solve those problems.I\'m also hired to ensure open, honest participation of the participants. Insider meeting leaders sway and bias meetings, even when unintended. Participants often defer to the leader; not offering challenging questions or potentially valuable ideas.NO, I am NOT a meeting planner. While that can be an invaluable service, it\'s not what I do. I RUN / LEAD / MANAGE meetings – often of a strategic nature. Whether a small not-for-profit or a Fortune 500 company, I have the experience and skill to get the most out of meetings. Here\'s a simplified version of what I do- I get to know the individual participants- I learn their meeting objectives, their challenges, and their unique insights- I set the agenda for the meeting- I communicate clearly with those in charge of the meeting- I build rapport and communicate clearly with the participants- I run the meeting. We start on time. We end on time- We have honest, clear discussions of even challenging issues- We find common ground and direction- We agree upon a direction forward- We assign tasks and set timelines- Participants leave with a unified understanding of direction, goals, and responsibilities- Participants leave with a sense of accomplishment; A SENSE OF TIME WELL SPENT.A great meeting energizes and motivates the participants. A poor meeting does just the opposite. The greatest expense to any meeting is the opportunity cost; what the participants could have been working on instead and the impact the meeting will have on their future performance.I work with companies and organizations to produce meetings with results. Results = Success. Through objectivity, perspective, and extensive business experience, I guide clients to reach tangible outcomes and implementable results from important meetings.