Success Advice
How a Properly Planned Agenda Eliminates Ineffective Meetings
Organizations spend a great amount of time throughout the course of a year in meetings. Meetings should always be meaningful, organized, and necessary. Unfortunately, too many meetings I have sat through fit what a friend once told me, “Meetings are people sitting around talking about things they ought to be doing.” I can recall many meetings I attended through my career wishing I could have been in my office working!
I think meetings are more fruitful if they are preceded by a comprehensive Planning Meeting at the beginning of the year. The purpose of this initial meeting is to get everyone on the same page for the upcoming year.
University of St. Francis Athletics
Our full-time people in the St. Francis athletic program would annually meet approximately two weeks after the May final exams. We met to review the past year and to plan for the upcoming year which began in late July with our fall athletes arriving for preseason practices. We devised a simple, but comprehensive, plan to prepare for the upcoming year. Our full-time people blocked out four hours – from 8:00am -12:00pm – for one week to plan for the new year. This gave us 20 hours set aside for one thing: Planning.
As the Athletic Chair, I brought the agenda to the meeting. Our first order of business was to study the agenda and add important items that I missed. We then reviewed the previous year by having each person review his goals. I don’t ever remember accomplishing all my goals, so I reviewed mine first. By doing this, everyone knew that it was okay not to achieve all your goals. Those not achieved could be carried into the upcoming year.
The agenda was divided into two areas – “Priority Items” and “All-Other Items.” We first discussed the Priority Items, the most important things we had to face for the coming year. We then developed an action plan for each of the Priority Items.
The All-Other Items were primarily setting dates for annual functions we had to plan for like banquets, community/fundraising events, the golf outing, and all other date-related events. These dates were important because they needed the cooperation of other busy University Departments like Food Service and Maintenance. The sooner we gave these dates to our cooperating departments, the better for their planning.
“Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” – Alan Lakein
It was my job to take copious notes of our discussions so I could write our annual Planning Document. It was a simple document delineating the items we had to accomplish for the new year. We then sent the document to both our full-time and part-time personnel.
Each full-time person would write his goals for the coming year, especially integrating the Priority Items into these goals. We had many more part-time, off campus, coaches than our full-time people. The Planning Document was sent to every part-time coach so they could read it prior to our combined full and part-time personnel meeting.
In mid-July, we held our total department meeting. Each full-time person would speak to his responsibilities within the Planning Document. By doing this, our part-time people had the opportunity to read the document prior to the meeting and then listen to it come alive as the full-time people presented their portion of the document.
When our full-time personnel finished their presentations, we opened the meeting to our part-time people for their input. They always offered points we had missed and subsequently could add to our planning. This format enabled us to have all our people on the same page to face the upcoming year.
At mid-term we would meet with our full-time people and get a progress report on each person’s goals. We would get final reports at our year-end meeting as well. We would then review the goals and begin the planning cycle for the next year.
This format allowed us to not have meetings for meetings sake. We met when we had to plan for important events or when problems arose. These meetings were both organized and necessary. At all other times we were in our offices working.
Final Thoughts
From our experience, I would recommend four thoughts for your consideration:
- I would encourage you to meet with your principal people and write an annual Planning Document.
- I would encourage you to share the Planning Document with all of your people.
- I would encourage you to have your principal people write their goals in concert with your Priority Items.
- Although you will not accomplish all your goals each year, I believe you will be surprised at ALL you do achieve due to this format.
I hope you find that some of our planning details can be integrated into your planning.
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Success Advice
How to Choose the Best Affiliate Programs for Your Blog
If you follow these steps, you can create an affiliate marketing plan that makes money, fits well with your content, and connects with your readers
Picking the right affiliate programs for your blog is really important. It can make a big difference in how much money you can make and how much your readers get out of your blog. With so many choices out there, deciding which ones to go with can be tricky.
This guide is here to make it easier for you. It will give you clear steps and helpful tips to choose affiliate programs that fit well with what your blog is about, what your readers like, and what you stand for.
For more articles on this theme, please head over to this blog https://blog.partners1xbet.com/.
Understanding Affiliate Marketing
Before you start picking affiliate programs, it’s important to really understand what affiliate marketing is and how it works.
Basically, affiliate marketing is when you promote a product or service on your blog, and then you get paid a little bit every time someone buys something or does something because you recommended it.
It’s great for both the person selling the product and the blogger, because the seller gets more sales with low risk, and the blogger can make money from their blog.
How to Choose the Right Affiliate Programs for Your Blog
1. Assess Your Niche and Audience
The key to doing well in affiliate marketing starts with really knowing what your blog is about and who reads it. Consider the following:
- Your blog’s content: What topics do you cover? Ensure the products or services you promote are relevant.
- Your audience’s interests and needs: What solutions are they seeking? Choose affiliate programs that offer products or services that solve their problems or enhance their lives.
2. Research Potential Affiliate Programs
Once you know what your blog is about and what your readers want, start looking for affiliate programs. Choose ones that are well-known for good products, great customer service, and helpful support for affiliates. Resources to find these programs include:
- Affiliate networks like ShareASale, Commission Junction, and ClickBank.
- Direct searches for “[Your Niche] affiliate programs” in search engines.
- Recommendations from other bloggers in your niche.
3. Evaluate the Commission Structure
The commission structure is a critical factor to consider. Look for programs that offer competitive rates that make your efforts worthwhile. Consider:
- The percentage of commission per sale.
- Whether the program offers a flat rate per action (e.g., per sign-up).
- The cookie duration, which affects how long after a click you can earn commissions on sales.
4. Consider the Program’s Reputation and Sureness
Join affiliate programs with a solid reputation for quality and sureness. This not only ensures that you’re promoting good products but also that you’ll be paid on time. You can:
- Read reviews from other affiliates.
- Check the program’s history and background.
- Look for any complaints or issues reported online.
5. Analyze the Support and Resources Offered
A good affiliate program gives you things like ads to use, training on their products, and helpful managers. Having access to these resources can really help you do a better job at promoting their products.
6. Understand the Terms and Conditions
Before signing up, thoroughly review the program’s terms and conditions. Pay close attention to:
- Payment thresholds and methods.
- Any restrictions on how you can promote their products.
- The program’s policy on affiliate marketing on social media platforms.
7. Test the Product or Service
If possible, test the product or service before promoting it. This firsthand experience allows you to offer genuine charge and build trust with your audience.
8. Look for Recurring Commission Opportunities
Some affiliate programs pay you again and again for subscriptions or services that charge fees regularly. These can provide a more stable income compared to one-time sales commissions.
Implementing Your Choice
After choosing the best affiliate programs, the next step is to smoothly include your affiliate marketing in your content plan. This includes:
- Creating valuable content that naturally incorporates affiliate links.
- Disclosing your affiliate affairs transparently to maintain trust with your audience.
- Tracking your results to understand what works best for your audience and adjusting your strategy accordingly.
Picking the best affiliate programs for your blog involves careful planning, research, and making sure they match what your audience likes and needs.
If you follow these steps, you can create an affiliate marketing plan that makes money, fits well with your content, and connects with your readers.
The real key to doing well with affiliate marketing isn’t just about the products you talk about, but also how much your audience trusts and values your advice.
With enough time, patience, and hard work, your blog can grow into a successful space that earns a good amount of affiliate money and helps your readers choose the right products.
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