Countries

Welcome to Africabiz Online Synopsis RSS Feed edition. Previous issue available atthis link

Click here for the beginning of the article

Rules for Running a Meeting

by Ofer Tirosh

As an experienced manager, I can announce without a doubt that the primary reason for lack of effectiveness in the contemporary business world is that people don't follow the rules for running a meeting.

Thousands meetings are conducted each day and most of the meeting chairmen have not even heard of the rules for running a meeting.

Therefore, the following article includes a brief description of the basic rules for running a meeting.

1. Planning: Planning is probably the most important of the rules for running a meeting. You must start running the meeting before the meeting is running. Planning includes inviting only the people that can contribute, deciding what should be the results of the meeting and preparing a good meeting agenda. Remember, failing to plan is planning to fail. All the other rules for running a meeting will be useless without a good planning.

2. Introduction: In order to recruit all the people to contribute to the meeting follow one the basic rules for running a meeting. Let each one introduce himself. That way, the roles of all participants will be clear and they will all have basic confidence.

3. Guidelines: Most of the people disregard one of the most important of the rules for running a meeting. Share with the meeting participants the type of the meeting. The type according to the rules for running a meeting would be one of the following: Problem solving, decision making or brain storming.

The guide lines must also include the time line and the expected outcome of the meeting. Following this rule will put you on top of most of the meeting chairmen who don't follow the rules for running a meeting.

4. Set the tone: Following the rules for running a meeting is effective only if you can set the tone. Do your best to keep the dialogue move forward. Do not let anyone be more dominate than the others. Engage the participants to speak.

Summarize important issues and make sure all the participants understand the issues. Ask additional and follow up questions like : If I understand what you are saying... Stay focused and remembers the rules for running a meeting during the entire meeting.

5. Finish and follow up: Meetings are not effective without a proper meeting summary. Make sure you avoid more meetings by following the rules for running a meeting and follow up the decisions and outcome of the meeting.

The rules for running a meeting are simple and clear. Read them several times, make sure you understand the rules for running a meeting and start implementing them in each meeting you attend. You will see the consequences in no time. Good luck.
.....................................................................................................................

Find more effective meeting articles on the complete guide to effective meetings, time menagement and other time making methods - The time management guide. It's all about time management - The most comprehensive source for ways of making more time - 911makemoretime.

(NOTE: This article has been reprinted from http://www.ArticleFeedster.com with permission.)

"CONTRIBUTOR'S GUIDELINES" are available here. We invite you to contribute to AFRICABIZ ONLINE MONTHLY ISSUE - with articles related to "How Africa Could Bridge The Developing Gap".

Your feedback / objection / contribution is welcome. Visit WorldWide BizCenter, and choose General Information (as topic) to create a thread for discussion. On the top of the WorldWide BizCenter page, there is a HELP link to assist you making an efficient use of the discussion board. This link also is useful

Many thanks for subscribing to Africabiz. See you here on March 15, 2007.

  Dr. B.M. Quenum
Click for email address

Business Opportunities

SUGAR-CANE & PRODUCTS - PART II: - SUGAR-CANE CULTIVATION: SMALL-SCALE GROWERS Vs HUGE AGRIBUSINESS CONCERNS

Most of the times sugar-cane cultivation in African countries is performed on 100 to 5,000 hectares plantations integrated with central "big" capacity sugar refining plants, which require huge capital input in land purchasing / renting and preparation, harvesting equipment and transport vehicles. These big agribusiness concerns need seasonal workers to cope with the harvest.

Another possibility is the cultivation of sugar-cane by small-scale growers who tend to 1, 2 up to 10 hectares of plantations. That is the option we would be favoring in the forthcoming deliveries as such a production scheme would give jobs to thousands of farmers and transformers.

Such a production scheme that would be a component part of an African country's national Integrated Scheme would boost economic activities in rural areas in comparison to a scheme based on big agribusiness estates - option that had been opted for by most African countries. These small farmers and transformers products would range from sugar-cane fresh juice, brown-sugar (muscovado) , molasses, electricity and ethanol.

A forthcoming delivery of the current series will further describe such a scheme to highlight the benefits of producing brown cane-sugar through a network of sugar-cane small-growers and industrialists - versus the production of refined cane-sugar by huge agribusiness plantations and big sugar refining plants.

Prior to that forthcoming delivery, Mauritius sugar-cane industry gives an idea about the potential of the small-growers' option versus big agribusiness one. In Mauritius the small-scale growers number 28,000 farmers who account for about 30 percent of the country total production of sugar - that is they provide raw materials to produce, year in year out, 167,746 metric tons of sugar [based on an average production of refined sugar totaling 559,154 metric tons for the past 5 years.] The total cultivation area tend by these small-scale growers is equal to 12,000 hectares.

That means most of African countries could easily produce enough sugar to cater for national markets through a network of small-scale growers and transformers, create thousands of jobs (growers and transformers) and boost economic activities in rural areas.

- CANE-SUGAR SUPERVISING COMMITTEE - CSSC

For such a scheme - based on the cultivation of sugar-cane by small-scale growers (up to 10 hectares each) and the processing of the raw-material by small-scale transformers who would be producing brown-sugar (muscovado,) molasses and ethanol) - to be a successful venture, it would be necessary to setup a Cane-Sugar Supervising Committee - CSSC to provide logistics support that reads as follows:

- Assistance to cultivation: mechanization of all practices, including cane harvesting, irrigation and land preparation. - Supply of high yielding sugar-cane varieties through research centers. - Supply of fertilizer, herbicide and necessary inputs to the growers. - Assistance to the transformers (production planning, equipment selection, production quality standardization. Etc.) - A central marketing board. Etc.

MORE ON SUGAR CANE & PRODUCTS

1- Sugar Cane Industry, The (Cambridge Studies in Historical Geography) by J.H. Galloway (Paperback Sep 23, 2005) 2- The House Surrounded by Sugar by Leanna Williams (Paperback - Mar 8, 2006) 3- From Cane to Sugar (Start to Finish) by Jill Braithwaite (Hardcover - Aug 2004) 4- Cane Sugar Handbook: A Manual for Cane Sugar Manufacturers and Their Chemists by James C. P. Chen and Chung Chi Chou (Hardcover - Nov 8, 1993) 5- Sugar Cane by Alex Morgan (Paperback - Aug 28, 2002) 6- The Sugar cane factory: A catechism of cane sugar manufacture for the use of beginners by Frederic I Scard (Unknown Binding - 1913)

7- Sugar Cane Cultivation and Management by Henk, Bakker and H., Bakker (Hardcover - Jan 1, 1999) 8- Sugar Cane (Tropical Agriculturalist) by R. Fauconnier (Paperback - Feb 24, 1993) 9- Management Accounting for the Sugar Cane Industry (Sugar Sciences, Vol 8) by A. E. Fok Kam (Hardcover - Mar 1988) 10- The nature and properties of the sugar cane With practical directions for the improvement of its cultures, and the manufacture of its products) by George Richardson Porter (Unknown Binding - 1831) 11- Sugar-cane and Sugar Industry in Nigeria The Bitter Sweet Lessons by Abdul-latif D. Busari (Paperback - Nov 2005) 12- The 2007-2012 World Outlook for Sugar Cane Mill Products by Philip M. Parker (Paperback - Oct 13, 2006)

Click here to read more about the matter

Control Your Desktop

KNOW WHICH ACTIVEX COMPONENTS AND CONTROLS ARE RUNNING ON YOUR SYSTEM.

ActiveX controls are little pieces of code placed in web pages that download Windows compatible programs onto your computer. While some ActiveX controls download useful programs to make the surfing experience a friendly one, allowing payment interfaces such as PayPal, Google Checkout and the likes; or enabling the download of a mortgage calculator to make calculation right from the webpage, they can also, unfortunately, provide tools to hackers to take control of your computer.

Hackers can use ActiveX components and controls to inject viruses, worms, Trojans in your system - when you visit rogue websites. Worse, they can use your email client to send these beasts to all your contacts.

Hackers can use ActiveX component / control to run stealth programs that can retrieve passwords and private data from your system. They can use ActiveX to “dial-up” inappropriate websites that charge per minute and run up huge bills.

- KNOW WHICH ACTIVEX PROGRAMMS ARE "HIDING"

Such mischievous attacks above briefly listed were common occurrences with brands of the windows operating system prior to windows XP. Microsoft had done a tremendous job to beef up security, particularly with XP Service Pack2. Windows Vista is taking the precaution further.

Nevertheless, even with XP Service Pack2 and the monthly security updates delivered by Microsoft, you might still be at risk surfing the World Wilde Web as hackers can manage to by-pass security sentinels installed on your system. [44, 71, 84]

Therefore, it is a god thing to keep a watch on the ActiveX components / controls that are present in your system.

There are several utility that assist keeping an eye on these ActiveX. Secure IE is one of them. You have to shed few bucks to get it. If you opt for a freeware client, just scroll down to Freebie' section to review and get a free client.

Freebie Of The Month

MAKE USE OF A FREE CLIENT THAT LISTS ACTIVEX PRESENT IN YOUR SYSTEM

There are several personal financ In line with Control Your Desktop' subject about ActiveX, here is ActiveXHelper a free utility that assist you list ActiveX Components and Controls present under the hood of your computer. It does that in a seamless way and provide many listing options.

Visit ActiveXHelper website to get your copy and strengthen security on your system.