Today on Voyage of Discovery, I’m going to share some very valuable ways to completely change the effectiveness of your business meetings. These are strategies I’ve learned through research & from others – along with some things I learned the hard way as a meeting organizer. So, if you in any way are in a position where you hold meetings, this can be game changing for you! Make Meetings Voluntary Never Read PowerPoints to Your Audience Say NO To Statistics Engage With Your Team Make It Fun! Think about the various aspects of organizing & presenting your meetings and identify anything negative, then turn it around to make it a positive. Don’t worry if it’s not “how things have always been done before”. If you’re looking for a better result than what you’ve had before, things need to be changed – even shaken up a bit! Also, keep in mind if you’ve been having troubled meetings for a while, it may take some time for people to get the idea that things have changed. Continue trying new ideas and see what happens. Be patient, persistent, creative and have fun! We don’t want to have the mindset of speaking to people, but rather engaging WITH them. Include everyone as much as possible, acknowledging them as individuals with needs & feelings. As a leader, be available for and accountable to your people – be an advocate for them and they’ll follow you anywhere. OK, there are several tips guaranteed to revolutionize your meetings. I hope you’ve found some value in this and that it will serve to improve the meetings you have in the future. Remember to subscribe to the Voyage of Discovery show on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and Youtube. You can connect on Facebook and Twitter or by going to ColeRuddick.com. Be sure to say “hi”. I’d love to hear your comments and show ideas, too! There’s more goodness where this came from. Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often as important as the outcome. ~Arthur Ashe Now go make the most of your life.

It's been a long, long time since I last put out a podcast but a lot has changed, and I'm breathing new life into the Voyage of Discovery series. A while back, I began to dabble in creating a podcast. One of the biggest things I learned was that I had a lot left to learn before putting out a successful show. To make a long story shorter, I'm back, and Voyage of Discovery is better than ever with new regular episodes weekly. I'll also have some special features to be released in between weekly shows from time to time. We have a lot of neat stuff on deck for upcoming shows, from motivating personal growth & self-improvement strategies to life-hacks for better communication & increasing your perception and even reviews and how-tos. All of this is put together in a higher quality format than the first pilot episodes used. Something else I'm really excited about is, you now have several ways to catch each episode. You can subscribe and listen via iTunes, Android & Google Play, or Stitcher. Soon, you'll also find the shows on YouTube. So, no matter what type of device you're using, you can find Voyage of Discovery by searching for Cole Ruddick, or just swing by the ColeRuddick.com website, where the podcasts now have their own category. I'd love to see your questions, comments, and show ideas, and I always respond. Make sure you're following on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or Google Plus, and subscribe to Voyage of Discovery using your favorite app.

Cole is your myth-buster in this podcast, explaining why change is inevitable for everyone. Have you ever heard this before? That people don’t change? Well, it’s time to put that myth to rest – just like that one about the Earth being flat. Myth Busted: People Don’t Change shows how we are always changing, either going forward or backward. You can also read the full article here.

Is it really so important understand other people? Whether or not you recognize the need in yourself and others, the need for understanding is vitally important in any relationship and to all people. Cole explains this basic principle & gives tips on how to strengthen your ability to understand others in this podcast.