Today's TQ

Daily Lessons in Intentional Excellence
Saturday, October 24, 2026

Time Is Money. Can You Afford To Waste Either?

Did you ever stop to examine the actual cost of your meetings? If you multiply each person's hourly salary by the length of the meeting, you may be appalled at the total cost of the meeting.

Weigh the actual cost of your next scheduled meeting against what will be gained by holding it.

Today's TQ Challenge: Get Fully Engaged Quickly -- Or Get Out Gracefully.

Choose to be PREPARED! Do some quick math. Approximately how much did your last meeting cost?
Choose to be RESPONSIBLE! Think about the cost of your meetings. When are they worth it?
Choose to be INVOLVED! How much will your next scheduled meeting cost, approximately?

A meeting can either be valuable and highly productive or a complete waste of time. It all depends on the attitude and the preparation of everyone in the meeting. The key to a successful meeting is a highly focused agenda, advanced preparation, a skilled moderator and follow up on items requested and promises made.

"Neither can the wave that has passed by be recalled, nor the hour which has passed return again." ~ Ovid

Think about it. How well and how often do you actually DO Synergize Factor 7I?

"I prepare for and participate in meetings to ensure they produce maximum results."

A high commitment (7I rated 8 or better) suggests you expect to achieve significant progress from every meeting. You prepare for meetings in advance to ensure you achieve the greatest progress possible, in the limited time you have together. This applies to your company meetings, team meetings, family dinners and doctor visits. The time you spend together is on time, point and purpose. You value the other participants' time, and make sure the meeting is beneficial for everyone in attendence. Your meetings are successful at reaching agreed upon courses of action -- which are implemented immediately.

On the other hand...

A lack of commitment suggests you are someone who expects very little from your meetings with others. You rarely take the time to prepare properly for the meetings you lead, or the ones you attend. Instead, you prefer to wing it -- and see what direction the meeting goes. Without a solid agenda, your meetings range from brainstorming gone wild to unproductive whining sessions. Personal opinions are offered in abundance, while hard-core, researched facts are scarce. Few specific requests are presented -- and even fewer promises are made.

What happens when you CHOOSE to do Factor 7I a bit more frequently?

Your meetings are well prepared, and therefore, they are a valuable use of time and become highly productive. You accumulate performance positives like "Contributive, Prepared and Collaborative" -- immediately moving you towards the results you expect.

What happens when you FAIL to consistently do Factor 7I?

Your meetings waste everyone's time. Negatives like "Non-Participative, Irresponsible and Unprepared" start to take their toll on your performance -- quickly moving you away from the success you want.

Now Ask Yourself This...
Is Factor 7I Causing You Problems?

If you believe this factor is a key performance obstacle -- and that it's preventing you from realizing your personal dreams and goals -- then you need to improve it.

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