Have you ever been at a business meeting with 12 consultants, a powerpoint, an entire tree of paper, but no real purpose? I’ve had my fill. I usually look around the room and compute the cost to the client. Most times it’s about $2500 an hour.

I had a completely different meeting this week. I attended a meeting with 8 volunteers, no agenda, but a leader with a clear purpose. The group is responsible for physically moving an organization and getting the word out about the move. A diverse array of skills is required to accomplish both tasks and the process is going to involve about 200 people. The meeting had all the makings of one of those nowhere meetings, but it was just the opposite.

We were able to hash out the details of the physical move, prioritize the tasks, and assign them. We were also able to get through the who, and how of the public relations aspect. All in under an hour. I was so awed by the efficiency of the facilitator that I thought I would share my experience with you.

The facilitator did a few things for the meeting to run smoothly.

1. She had her supplies together.
2. She asked for a note taker.
3. She clearly outlined what was to be accomplished, not HOW it would be accomplished.
4. As soon as ideas started flowing, she moved to the white board.
5. She involved the entire group so that no one was nodding off, and everyone had buy-in.
6. She was clear on her role as facilitator and used cues to move the meeting forward.
7. Even though she did not express it to the group, she had a plan (document what, prioritize, document who, document how).
8. Finally, she was sure to close with the follow up assignments and meeting time.

A meeting with a clear purpose and an effective leader can be the most productive hour of the day. On the other hand, a meeting for meeting sake, or facilitated by a poor leader is time wasted.

Welcome to the Personal Development Carnival!

I, Nneka, writer at Balanced Life Center, am your host this week. I had the great pleasure of compiling the 29 articles for this week’s Carnival. In the process, I was introduced to a great group of thriving personal development blogs, and two brand new ones. Without further ado, I present to you the Carnival of Personal Development.

My entry for this week is a post about setting and achieving your goals: Achieve Big Audacious Goals The SMART Way.

How to Let Go and Move On posted at Milo Riano - Helpful hints on how to release a situation and move on.

How to Run a Red Light posted at Financial Freedom and Practical Spirituality - Learn how to hold your intentions even when the light is red.

Top Five Ways to Improve Your Life posted at Life Nectar - Rob is off to a roaring start on his new blog. The first post is an informative list to help you live your best life.

Greatest Job In The World posted at ZenChill.com - Power Tools for Mind, Body, and Soul - One of my favorite blogs presents a job description for a Universal Gardener. Apply within.

Rob Schaumer presents If you never start you can?t get anywhere. posted at Rob Schaumer - I was introduced to a new stage in the business development process: the procrastination stage. Learn how to move past it in this post.

Never Feel Bad About Looking Bad Again posted at Life Coaches Blog - The more I grow, the less I know. Alvin eloquently explains why.

Using The Book of Positive Aspects posted at Evolving Times - As Edward compares two perspectives of a situation, he illustrates how we choose how we experience our lives.

Personal Development Today and Tomorrow posted at A Life Journey - Jason explores the paradox of personal development: looking to the future while fully experiencing the present moment.

Strengths for Life Satisfaction: When we use our special talents and abilities our lives are happier. posted at Personal Development at Suite 101 - Jerry talks about how to identify and harness your strengths.

Keeping a Life Journal posted at leahey.org - Journalling is a
great way to explore your personal growth. Andrew presents a guide to creating a journal.

How to Build a Trusting Relationship posted at Kate Hudson’s Blog - Kate tells us how to build a solid foundation for any relationship by building trust.

4 Secrets to Time Management That Define You: Is Your Strategy Skyrocketing You to Success or Stopping You Cold? posted at A Better You - Patricia helps us manage our time more efficiently.

Focus On What You Want To Improve posted at Personal Development Ideas Blog - Gleb, next week’s Carnival Host, explores the saying “What you Focus on Increases.”

Happiness and Health posted at Life: Personal, Business, Social - Looking for happiness? Start with your health. It really works. Read this article to find out how.

10 Reasons To Drink More Water posted at The Ririan Project - Ten great reasons to drink more water with a bonus feature of ways to make your water more interesting. Hint add mint leaves. Check out the article for a lot more.

The De-Bunking of Baby Food as Necessity posted at Frugal Wisdom from Wenchypoo’s Warehouse - Wenchypoo explores opposing views regarding baby food. Parents take a look and join the conversation.

How do they use you as guinea pig? Part3 posted at RDoctor Medical Portal - Informative article about the history of the Food and Drug Administration, and how clinical studies are run.

Wanna be more productive? Trash that bloody PDA! posted at RadicalHop.com: Business. Innovation. Passion - All the new technologies can indeed make life easier, but Peter offers some compelling reasons to do away with your PDA.

Great Leadership Advice - “Don’t be Boring” posted at Asher Lewis - Keep spice and passion alive when you lead.

Seven Rules For MicroPhone Management posted at Jack Yoest - An informative post offering great public speaking tips when a mic is involved.

How to Get Ahead: Lie and Cheat? posted at Passion, People and Principles - David comments on a study of MBA students that revealed that cheating is common place.

The Courage to Live Debt Free - the Principles of Economic Security posted at LifeTraining - Online - Some tips on how to live debt free and in integrity with money.

How
to Get Through a Cash Pinch posted at Bryan C. Fleming .com - Brian started an interesting project called the Million Dollar Club. On day 29 he explores what you can do if you find yourself in a pinch.

Plant a Better Tree posted at Phil for Humanity - Beautify your plot of the Universe and save some money on produce. That’s what Phil is suggesting in this article. I’m getting ideas as I look at my barren spread.

Grow With Chess Blog posted at My View - John introduces us to his brand new blog. He’ll be offering a unique perspective on life through his lessons from chess. Enjoy!

How to get a Social Life posted at How to be Cooler - Chris presents an exceptional article on how to make new friends and improve your social circle.

Just In Time For Labor Day, Some Job Interview Humor posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog - It’s a bit after Labor Day, but here’s a bit of humor to lighten things up.

The Magic of Tshuva posted at me-ander - Muse explores the Jewish practice of Tshuva and the tradition of Yom Kippur.

How to Be Sizzling Hot - Guide for Men posted at AmericanInventorSpot.com - More humor from Michelle. A spoof on products recommended to increase “hotness”. Guys take heed.

Lyman, the usual host for the Carnival at Creating a Better Life did not submit an entry. So, I’m choosing a post for him. It’s the first post in his book review series: Success Through A Positive Mental Attitude.

That concludes this week’s Carnival. Next week’s Carnival will be hosted by Gleb at Personal Development Ideas Blog. To participate in future Carnivals, submit your article via Blog Carnival’s Submission Form.

Thanks for visiting the Carnival and Balanced Life Center. Come again soon