Aaron U. Bolin, Ph.D.

Be honest: have you ever taken 1-second naps at a meeting? What if the room is hot, the meeting is after lunch, the topic is boring, and the speaker has the charisma of a rock? Have you ever drawn doodles at a meeting? Daydreamed? Checked your messages? Do you think it is rude to act bored at a meeting? It isn't. It is rude to have bad meetings. If my meetings are bad, I am at fault. If your meetings are bad, then it is your fault. Most meetings are "BAD" for two reasons: (1) Nobody wants to be there, and (2) Nothing gets done. Part of the problem is that many meetings are simply not necessary. There is only one reason to ever call a meeting; meetings are to develop shared understanding. If you need shared understanding, call a meeting. Otherwise, don't. If you must have a meeting, then you owe it to the attendees to plan for success. The first rule of successful meetings is: Rule #1. Only call a meeting if you plan to keep minutes. Read more: http://voices

KPI Definition Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) are measured evidence that desired business results are being achieved. KPI's are feedback about how the business is performing. KPI's are essentially metrics linked in a meaningful way to an important business objective. These are the "critical few" measures that you need to know to get the job done. Goals define the end results we hope to achieve, and KPI's define the measurements used to monitor progress toward goal attainment. As a general rule, if you will not make business decisions based on a measure, then that measure is not a KPI. Purpose of KPI's When structured to reflect business strategy, KPI's provide business owners with answers to important business questions, help managers understand how their organizations are performing in relation to their strategic goals, and provide an indicator to determine whether performance is on track. The term KPI tends to be misunderstood and