To maximize the output of the Meet-conomy, a good manager must leverage every strategy at his or her disposal. That includes all the lessons in Meeting-nomics 101 (achieving the meeting clearing point), 201 (double booking and incomprehensibility) and what is presented here in 302: Maximizing Synergies where ever more subtle strategies must be employed to achieve 10% YoY TMT growth.

One important strategy was touched on in 201, presenting information redundantly across multiple meetings with less than 50% change in overall meeting content. To further enhance an employee’s need to attend your meetings you should slightly change redundant content from meeting to meeting. Attendees with believe they are missing information and will begin preferentially attending your meetings over other managers meetings. Let’s be clear, while overall corporate TMT growth is important, as a manager your personal TMT growth (which includes your managerial domain) is critical.

One way to achieve TMT growth in your personal managerial domain is at the expense of other managers. Never forget it is easier to push others down than lift yourself up. One way to make your meetings seem more important is through the above mentioned ever shifting redundant content. By way of analogy, consider the simple rainbow. If all 7 colors were detailed in the first meeting attendees would have no incentive to attend subsequent rainbow meetings. Instead, in the first meeting begin describing the colors of the rainbow without ever mentioning the number of traditionally defined colors, e.g. speak of Red, Orange and Blue skipping over Yellow and Green. During the second meeting continue on with Indigo and Violet, then casually mention that covers all seven colors and that the next meeting will be a summation. Attendees will wonder what they missed, “How can there be seven colors but I only heard 5 discussed?” they will ask themselves. They will certainly be present at the next meeting for fear of missing something else.

Should you cover Yellow and Green during the next meeting? Of course not, you’re a 302 level manager now! During the next meeting mention Green, refer to Red as Magenta, begin defining the actual wavelengths then switch to frequency. At some point you may wish to reorder the colors and use Blue and Cyan interchangeably. Eventually introduce the neumonic device ROY G BIV to remember the colors in order, although depending on how well your fellow managers are also using these techniques you may wish to change the neumonic to VIB G YOR. Then change the pronunciation, which is especially effective for non-native language speakers, (vybjyour vs vibGyor, be creative) Remember Purple is nearly indistinguishable from Violet. Do all of this with the intent of providing more information for the attendees. This is all about them. Specifically making them (employees) feel the need to attend your meetings from fear of missing out.

More strategies will be discussed in 303: