The SmartDraw Blog

How to Avoid Poorly Executed Meetings

SarahM — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:23:00 GMT

Chances are, most of your meetings do not result in any action. Decisions you thought were made were not clearly understood and agreed upon.

There was no mechanism for quickly arriving at and documenting those decisions.
Tasks were not clearly defined for action or documented for follow-up and accountability.

It’s a fact: people hate meetings. Studies show that the average employee loses nearly ONE DAY per week in unproductive meeting time.

Why? Because in most meetings no one takes notes and even if they do no one assigns tasks in a way that ensures accountability.

So what’s the secret to meetings that get things done?

It’s actually quite easy – follow this quick and simple plan for meetings that are shorter and more productive.

Use Live Information Capture – it is six times more effective in communicating ideas than words alone.
Assign a task to a specific person to complete by a specific date.
Make that person accountable for completing it.

This is done in three simple steps:

1. Create an agenda ahead of time. Display it on the conference room projector (or on your screen using an online meeting platform such as GotoMeeting™ or WebEx™). It is important to communicate the agenda visually.

2. Assign action items to each person in real time, displaying the agenda in visual format. Everyone in the meeting sees the action item assigned. There is no room for different interpretations of action taken and the person assigned the task is publically accountable for completing it.

3. Distribute the action item document, in visual format (which becomes the minutes of the meeting), to each attendee.

Schedule a follow-up meeting. Start it by displaying the same action item document publically. Review the status of each action item. Anyone who has promised to get something done is now accountable to everyone else. You’ll soon find that:

Meetings are shorter and to the point
What’s promised actually gets done
Everyone is on the same page

Use Live Information Capture

What is live information capture?

It is a meeting that displays a visual agenda and builds action items in real time. You could use a word processor to show an agenda and action items on the screen pages of text are difficult to work with in a group setting.

It’s much better to use a tool like SmartDraw that is designed for live information capture. SmartDraw has a special template specifically designed for your meeting. It lets you create an easy-to-read agenda, edit it real time, and assign action items to attendees. Best of all, it gives everyone in the meeting a clear and concise plan of action with accountability.

Why use ordinary charts when SmartDraw visuals are proven to be more effective? Impress your boss and your audience!

SmartDraw Hubs are a GPS for Your Data

SarahM — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:22:00 GMT

What are Hubs?

Hubs are powerful SmartDraw templates useful in organizing and communicating data. Think of a Hub as a GPS on your desktop – able to quickly take you to important data or information. It can be useful in a variety of applications.

We won’t go so far as to say using Hubs will put you on Cloud 9, but you’ll be able to easily organize and access everything stored on Clouds 1 though 8—including the Internet and your company server.

Hubs can organize and simplify your daily life, both at work and at home. From a simple Hub for planning a party to a hyperlinked network of Hubs comprising an interactive set of documents for a large project, the possibilities are unlimited.

Because Hubs are visual and interactive, and because SmartDraw does all of the formatting automatically, they are easy to create and even easier to use.

Using Hubs is Quick and Easy

What kind of information might be shared in a Hub? Almost anything: from basic forms, documents and records to complex flowcharts, presentations, manuals and web links. You can even use Hubs to link to other Hubs. With SmartDraw, it’s possible to organize all of your company’s critical information into a central electronic gateway using Hubs.

You’ll find the Hubs template icon on the SmartDraw popular templates panel.

In the example below, we’ve created a Hub for a new project. In the first box, labeled “File Procedures,” you see a PDF icon. This is added using the SmartPanel by clicking Change Icon then selecting the PDF icon in the pop-up window. We’ve done the same thing in the “Spreadsheet” and “Document” template boxes by adding XLS and DOC icons. A hyperlink takes the user directly to those files with a simple click.

You only need to set up your Hub once. With the hyperlinks, you can update your important files as needed, and the link will take the user to that file location as long as the file name does not change. A new document template can be saved over the old version in the central file but our “project manual” Hub doesn’t require updating.

Use Hubs to Organize a Company (or Personal) Event

Hubs are also great for organizing your next event; let’s say your company holiday party. In the Hub you can brainstorm possible locations, link to the invite drafts and even link to restaurant menus online. With Hubs, there are unlimited possibilities of ways you can manage information.

The Best Tools for the Job

You could use a word processing document with links to other documents to build a hub, but it’s far easier to use a tool designed specifically for this purpose. SmartDraw is that tool.

SmartDraw is designed to help you build interactive Hubs documents. It lets you link them together effortlessly. You don’t need to waste time creating and formatting your visuals – SmartDraw does it all automatically. Want to export them to a Word® document or PowerPoint® presentation? With SmartDraw, you can do it in a single click!

The Secret to Saving 80% on Training Costs

SarahM — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:35:00 GMT

Training a new employee is one of the biggest costs of doing business. Often, it’s intangible; hidden from view on your profit and loss statement. A new hire needs to learn – as quickly as possible – how to do the job correctly.

Industry experts estimate that the cost of the productivity that is lost as a new employee comes up to speed is 33% of their annual salary! That’s four months of wasted time.

Not to mention on-the-job-training mistakes that can cost you money and really eat into your profit margin.

Why does it take so long to break in a new employee?

Simple: We don’t give them the information they need in an easily accessible manner.

Three Simple Steps to Faster OnBoarding

Companies have reduced the time it takes to train a new employee by up to 80% with these three simple steps.

1. Make a list of all of the tasks that the new hire must perform as part of the job.

A hub-and-spoke diagram is the most effective way to show this. It allows both the trainer and trainee to see, at a glance, what tasks need to be done.

This visual should also include internal systems that an employee must learn, like the timecard system, the email system and the phone system.

2. For each regular task, carefully document the steps that must be performed.

The easiest way to record these steps is a flowchart, rather than a text document. A flowchart more easily shows the different steps that occur as the result of a decision.

3. Create a simple access system to this information using a hub-and-spoke diagram.

A hub is a place where you can group large amounts of information electronically. Link the task documentation to each shape in the hub and link to useful documents. The manuals for the phone, copiers and other internal systems are examples of this, as shown in the graphic below.

The hub becomes an on-boarding reference for a new employee, providing easy access to all the information they need. Once in place, it is available as a permanent reference. Cross-training another employee to do the job, or replacing this employee in the future, will be much easier. All your new hire has to do is open the hub then point, click and learn. It really is that easy!

The Best Tools for the Job

You could use a word processing document with links to other documents to build a hub, but it’s far easier to use a tool designed specifically for this purpose. SmartDraw is that tool.

SmartDraw is designed to help you build interactive hub-and-spoke diagrams (mind maps). It lets you link them together effortlessly. You don’t need to waste time creating and formatting your visuals – SmartDraw does it all automatically. Want to export them to a Word® document or PowerPoint® presentation? With SmartDraw, you can do it in a single click! Download a free trial of SmartDraw today!