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Strategic Meetings Management Range Anxiety

Many of us begin our day with an ideal action plan to propel our strategy forward.  We use our favorite time management principles and consume our preferred energy drinks. Yet, often, we are sucked into day-to-day operations like paper jammed into a powerful paper shredder moving at speeds of 100 pages per minute and at the end of the day, feel like cross-cut confetti.  We multi-task and strew edicts to appease our customers and support our directors but sometimes lose sight of the goal.  We read that our colleagues have a Strategic Meetings Management ("SMM") program in place yet feel as if we will never make the front cover or even a last page notation in our favorite meetings magazine.

A colleague of mine on Facebook recently shared that he was washing windows at 10:30 p.m. at night during a global conference call with China.  How many of us are trying to solve today’s problems yet guide the strategic direction of the future?   Probably, all of us.  How can we compartmentalize and progress our Strategic Meetings Management Program so that it does not overwhelm us?

Organizational leaders who are moving toward Strategic Meetings Management encounter "SMM Range Anxiety" because they believe that they must accomplish all of the strategic, operational and tactical activities of an SMM within a short period of time.  Rather, I help my clients reduce the SMM Range Anxiety by moving gradually up the maturity model continuum by appending improvements and incorporating flexible solutions over a period of years.  Don’t let the range of Strategic Meetings Management activities overwhelm your action plans. Start with a Petite version.  Stay with a Petite SMM or move up to a Tall SMM if that is what makes sense for your organization. 

 

Organizations often begin SMM by putting in place a few of the common SMM components based on their organization’s priority (e.g. save money, reduce risk, improve quality, etc.)  Over time, many organizations continue to develop the program to a mature level.   Too many companies and associations start out by putting the technology in place without considering the strategy, processes and resources necessary to begin and sustain a Strategic Meetings Management Program.  Start with small and manageable activities.  An SMM Program always provides a positive return on investment if developed correctly.

Within the next several days, you will have an opportunity to benchmark your Strategic Meetings Management Program with others in the industry at SMMBenchmark.com.   At SMMBenchmark.com, you can assess your program and receive a report that will provide you with guidelines on how to move your program forward.

Download SMM Strategy Articulation Map and Maturity Model 22 Nov 2010

 

If you have any questions or need assistance with anything mentioned above, please contact me.

Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation, T&E policy, plus more...

Debi Scholar, GLP, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT, Six Sigma Green Belt

• Meetings Management Mover and Shaker as selected by Corporate and Incentive Travel Magazine (2010)
• Top 20 Changemaker who influenced the meetings management industry by Corporate Meetings and Incentives (2008)
• Best Meeting Practitioner as selected by Business Travel News (2007)

The Scholar Consulting Group LLC
[email protected]
908-304-4954

 

Debi has the following designations:

• Wharton Aresty Executive Education/National Business Travel Association (NBTA) Global Leadership Professional (GLP)
• Meeting Professionals International Certificate in Meetings Management (CMM)
• Convention Industry Council Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
• NBTA Corporate Travel Expert (CTE)
• Six Sigma Green Belt
• Chauncey Certified Technical Trainer (CTT)

 

Follow me on Twitter ...http://www.twitter.com/debischolar  and on LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar

Strategic Meetings Management: 80 Components to a Meetings Policy

One of the most frequently requested services that clients ask for is “Debi, will you please help me create a Meetings Policy?”   After having done it so many times, I created a checklist of the common components of a meetings policy.  At the risk of losing some business, I share with you the 80 Components to a Meetings Policy in the attached document.   Not every company wants to be as thorough…. for example, is the requirement to obtain a BMI or ASCAP license to play music necessary if the organization already maintains a license?  Probably not. However, I include it as part of the checklist so that you can determine if you want to include it in your meeting policy.

Moreover, if you are being charged more than $5K for someone to write a policy for you…you are paying too much.  The benefit of using a boutique consulting firm is the ability to annihilate high fees.  

If you have any questions or need assistance with anything mentioned above, please contact me.

Download 80 components that make up a meeting policy

Download Meeting Policy Template by Scholar Consulting Group

Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation, T&E policy, plus more...

Debi Scholar, GLP, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT, Six Sigma Green Belt

• Meetings Management Mover and Shaker as selected by Corporate and Incentive Travel Magazine (2010)
• Top 20 Changemaker who influenced the meetings management industry by Corporate Meetings and Incentives (2008)
• Best Meeting Practitioner as selected by Business Travel News (2007)

The Scholar Consulting Group LLC
[email protected]
908-304-4954

 

Debi has the following designations:

• Wharton Aresty Executive Education/National Business Travel Association (NBTA) Global Leadership Professional (GLP)
• Meeting Professionals International Certificate in Meetings Management (CMM)
• Convention Industry Council Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
• NBTA Corporate Travel Expert (CTE)
• Six Sigma Green Belt
• Chauncey Certified Technical Trainer (CTT)

 

Follow me on Twitter ...http://www.twitter.com/debischolar  and on LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar

Travel and Meetings: Use Change Management to Drive Compliance

“How do I get my travelers to use our online booking tool for hotels? And why aren’t the Administrative Assistants following our meeting policy?” wailed a client.  “We created the policy, we improved our technology and we sent a memo to everyone!  Can you help us?  What do we do next?”

The greatest irritant to a leader is creating a program without any followers.  How dare our end users ignore the work that we put forth in creating and maintaining a comprehensive travel and meetings program.  How do you cauterize non-compliant behavior?  Do the staff and suppliers know that their behavior is non-compliant to your processes and policies?  If you use a holistic change management initiative supported by leadership, you can drive compliance to your travel and meetings program.

Most all consulting firms have created their own change management model, yet one of the most widely recognized versions is the McKinsey 7S Framework.  Developed in the 1980s by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, the 7S Framework theory is that Strategy, Structure, Systems, Style, Staff, Skills must all align to obtain Shared Values throughout an organization for change management success.   With these dimensions as our guide, we can create a change management approach for travel and meetings programs that will propel your program compliance.

 

Many consultants campaign their change management efforts toward a single audience – the end users of the program. In contrast, I propose that there are at least five stakeholder audiences for your change management efforts. They include:

1. Customers, clients / end users of your travel and meetings program
2. Business leaders / C-level leaders
3. Travel and meetings leaders / staff
4. Support staff  (e.g. Finance, Procurement, Security, other integrated support teams, etc.)
5. Suppliers (e.g. hotels, airlines, ground transportation, management companies, etc.)

Each stakeholder audience may appeal to different types of messaging.  Change management drives compliance to using travel and meeting services through efforts to motivate, communicate, educate and evaluate the behaviors and activities that support the new organizational efforts.  Change management may include activities such as communication plans, training plans, alignment of strategy to operations, stakeholder management, organization design aligned to job design and workforce planning, performance management, motivational activities, process management, knowledge management and consequences for non-compliance.

Change management efforts should continue with the cadence necessary on an ongoing basis to advance program compliance.  The attached Change Management Matrix provides you with ideas to get started.

Download SCG Change Management Matrix

If you have any questions or need assistance with anything mentioned above, please contact me.

Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation, T&E policy, plus more...

 

Debi Scholar, GLP, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT, Six Sigma Green Belt

• Meetings Management Mover and Shaker as selected by Corporate and Incentive Travel Magazine (2010)
• Top 20 Changemaker who influenced the meetings management industry by Corporate Meetings and Incentives (2008)
• Best Meeting Practitioner as selected by Business Travel News (2007)

The Scholar Consulting Group LLC
[email protected]
908-304-4954

 

Debi has the following designations:

• Wharton Aresty Executive Education/National Business Travel Association (NBTA) Global Leadership Professional (GLP)
• Meeting Professionals International Certificate in Meetings Management (CMM)
• Convention Industry Council Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
• NBTA Corporate Travel Expert (CTE)
• Six Sigma Green Belt
• Chauncey Certified Technical Trainer (CTT)

 

Follow me on Twitter ...http://www.twitter.com/debischolar  and on LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar

 

Strategic Meetings Management: Technology Spotlight

This summer I had the opportunity to interview numerous meeting planning companies about the services they offered, the processes they used and the technologies that supported their business processes.  As a trusted advisor and consultant in travel and meetings, I remain independent yet seek opportunities to learn about the best-in-class strategies, resource models, processes and technology.  I asked a few questions of these meeting management companies and the answer to the question, “Which meeting management technology do you prefer?” piqued my interest as I moved my chair closer to the table and sat upright in my chair.    

We know that most meeting management technologies include different levels of functionality that support strategic meetings management programs.  Some may offer multi-language capabilities, some may offer more security, some may provide better reporting; some may be cheaper; and some may provide better sourcing/RFP functionality.   So, my extremely informal method of asking one question was surely not statistically relevant. Granted, if I created one survey that listed all of the technology functionality and asked all of the meeting planning companies which technology they preferred, the answer may offer more statistically correct feedback. Yet, informal word of mouth tends to go a long way in this business.

The meeting management companies agreed that they use multiple technology suppliers because their clients use different technologies.  And, they all agreed that there were pros and cons of each technology that they used.  I leaned closer to my colleagues so that I didn’t miss a word of what they were telling me.

The meeting planning companies told me that they preferred Cvent.  Wow. This was news to me as it was not the answer I expected to hear. As a practitioner many years ago, I remember telling Reggie Aggarwal, CEO of Cvent, to stop calling me because I was perfectly content with my current meeting management technology.  Fast forward many years … now, these successful meeting planning companies told me that they prefer Cvent?  Spotlight seems to shine at different times on deserving companies.   Today, the spotlight is on Cvent because of the feedback that I received and because of the headlining Washington Post article posted on Sunday, November 7, titled “How Reggie Aggarwal turned Cvent into a Success”  Not only does this article follow Reggie’s never-ending pursuit of success, it also inspires us to never stop learning, build strong relationships, and follow your dream.

 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/07/AR2010110703933.html

In the fiercely competitive environment of meeting management technology, there are “up and coming” technologies that are trying to knock Cvent out of the spotlight. There are tried and true technologies that support the global strategic meetings management program of many organizations and have held the spotlight for many years.  If your organization is seeking a meeting management technology, I encourage the use of a well-written request for proposal and a vigorous evaluation and testing process.  

Congratulations to Reggie and his team as they spent endless hours listening to meeting planners and leaders; the valuable feedback resulted in a great product and service.

If you have any questions or need assistance with anything mentioned above, please contact me.

Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation, T&E policy, plus more...

 Debi Scholar, GLP, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT, Six Sigma Green Belt

• Meetings Management Mover and Shaker as selected by Corporate and Incentive Travel Magazine (2010)
• Top 20 Changemaker who influenced the meetings management industry by Corporate Meetings and Incentives (2008)
• Best Meeting Practitioner as selected by Business Travel News (2007)

The Scholar Consulting Group LLC
[email protected]
908-304-4954

Debi has the following designations:

• Wharton Aresty Executive Education/National Business Travel Association (NBTA) Global Leadership Professional (GLP)
• Meeting Professionals International Certificate in Meetings Management (CMM)
• Convention Industry Council Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
• NBTA Corporate Travel Expert (CTE)
• Six Sigma Green Belt
• Chauncey Certified Technical Trainer (CTT)

Follow me on Twitter ...http://www.twitter.com/debischolar  and on LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar

 

 

 

Strategic Meetings Management: Maturity Model and Strategy Articulation Map

Strategic Meetings Management provides direction to guide the strategy, operations and tactical activities of meetings and events in order to improve business processes, quality, and return on investment, and reduce costs, risks and inefficiencies.

A proud and curious client called me and said, “Debi, we are doing site selections and sourcing for all of the Marketing meetings   And, we’ve agreed to use one standard addendum for all of the meetings. Is this considered Strategic Meetings Management?”   I soothingly explained that her odometer showed 20 miles accomplished and her GPS advised that she had another 480 miles yet to go on the path of creating an SMM.  Headed in the right direction, she questioned, “How will I know when I’ve reached my destination?”  Great question.   At that moment in early 2009, the industry’s first SMM Maturity Model was conceptualized. 

Gathering data from hundreds of companies and numerous clients, the SMM Maturity Model was first presented to eager attendees during an industry presentation in mid-2009.  The SMM Maturity Model benchmark questionnaire (available by end of December, 2010 on SMMBenchmark.com) uses a six-level process maturity continuum starting with “Unaware,” those organizations that may be at the beginning of the SMM journey through “Mature,” those organizations that may have a mature program in place.  Find the SMM Maturity Model in the attached document. I’ve elected to discard the “Unaware” level and begin with “Learn” on the document. In contrast, the assessment will include the “Unaware” category.

Another client who is a supplier recently asked, “Debi, our client wants to know what is included in the “strategy” part of Strategic Meetings Management…what do I tell them?”   The Strategy Articulation Map provides you with the activities that frequently occur during strategy creation, operational management and tactical actions in Strategic Meetings Management.

Download SMM Strategy Articulation Map and Maturity Model

If you need assistance with anything mentioned above, please contact me.

Thank you for visiting the T&E Plus Blog on expense management, travel management, business meetings, events, incentives, strategic meetings management, entertainment, virtual meetings, tickets, hotels, airlines, ground transportation, T&E policy, plus more...

Debi Scholar, GLP, CMM, CMP, CTE, CTT, Six Sigma Green Belt

• Meetings Management Mover and Shaker as selected by Corporate and Incentive Travel Magazine (2010)
• Top 20 Changemaker who influenced the meetings management industry by Corporate Meetings and Incentives (2008)
• Best Meeting Practitioner as selected by Business Travel News (2007)

The Scholar Consulting Group LLC
[email protected]
908-304-4954

 

Debi has the following designations:

• Wharton Aresty Executive Education/National Business Travel Association (NBTA) Global Leadership Professional (GLP)
• Meeting Professionals International Certificate in Meetings Management (CMM)
• Convention Industry Council Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
• NBTA Corporate Travel Expert (CTE)
• Six Sigma Green Belt
• Chauncey Certified Technical Trainer (CTT)

Follow me on Twitter ...http://www.twitter.com/debischolar  and on LinkedIN at http://www.linkedin.com/in/dscholar