Let’s face it, meetings are unpopular. Most people think meetings keep them from completing their work and can be unproductive.
If true, what can you do to enliven and improve your staff meetings? Here are 10 ways to make your meetings more effective and 10 ways to make them more fun.
1. Clearly state the purpose - What is the reason for the meeting? Is it to share information, make a decision, brainstorm ideas, build team spirit, or review and update status? Once you know what type of meeting it is and what the primary objective is then you can move on.
2. Invite fewer people - Invite only those whose presence is essential. Other people can be kept informed via email.
3. Define the timing - State the start and end times in advance, and then begin on time and don’t wait for latecomers. Keep the pace of the meeting brisk. Do not allow diversions or long, rambling statements or conversations. Do your utmost to end by the appointed end time. Build a reputation as someone who runs punctual, speedy meetings.
4. Turn off phones - Stress to people that if they are in the room, they are in the meeting, and phones should be switched off. Better still, don’t allow mobile devices in the meeting at all.
5. Have a break - If the meeting is going to be longer than an hour and a quarter, then have a short comfort break at around 45 minutes.
6. Use an external facilitator - If the meeting involves contentious issues or setting long-term strategy, it can help to have a skilled facilitator. They can manage the discussions, keep to the topic and keep time. They will ensure that everyone is heard and that decisions are reached.
7. Try the Amazon approach - Everyone gets a detailed brief at the start of the meeting and reads it in silence. Once everyone is fully aware of the facts, the discussion can begin. PowerPoint presentations are banned.
8. Have meeting-free days - Restrict meetings to certain days or certain times. This is especially important for retailers. It means that people can schedule uninterrupted time for essential work and projects.
9. Post meeting -After the meeting has concluded, circulate a summary of key decisions and actions.
10. Ask for feedback - Keep improving your meetings by asking for feedback from participants. What did they like or not like? Take on board suggestions for improvement.
How to be different
Make your meetings more interesting and enjoyable with these tips.
Go offsite - Try holding your important meeting in an art gallery, a museum, a castle, a stately home, or a zoo. The change in environment is stimulating and marks a complete break from the workplace.
- Remove the chairs. If you want a quick, decisive meeting, try having everyone stand. Or, in a small group, you can have a walking meeting outside.
- Wear the Six Hats - For reviewing and deciding on important or controversial proposals, try using De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats. This method forces people to view the proposition from both supportive and critical standpoints.
Everyone wears the same-coloured hat at the same time. It leads to faster, better decisions with greater buy-in from participants.
- Try the Disney method - It is a little like the Six Hats; people must adopt four different roles. Everyone starts as an observer, looking at the data, then becomes a dreamer, generating wild and brilliant ideas. After that, they are realists selecting the best idea and making it workable. Finally, they are critics identifying weaknesses and risks in the plan.
- Say ‘Yes’ - In this meeting, no one is allowed to say “no”. Everyone must build on others' ideas by adding to them. You arrive at some fantastic ideas and then come back to reality. Remember that you can always make a creative idea workable, but it is almost impossible to make a bland idea creative.
- Give people prior homework - Depending on the issue to be discussed, you can ask participants to do some real-world research with customers, friends, and family before the meeting. Or ask them to bring and share their best creative ideas. You can also delegate some people in advance to argue passionately for or against the proposal.
- Split introverts and extroverts - I asked a group to self-select into introverts and extroverts, and then each sub-group did some brainstorming. Both groups produced good ideas.
Afterwards, I asked how they found the experience. The extroverts saw no difference – it was just a normal brainstorm. The introverts thought it was much better – with no noisy people dominating the conversation, they had more time to ponder and share.
There is no reason why small businesses, such as jewellery stores, cannot have fewer, better, and more effective meetings. Too often, store meetings are dry, dull, and poorly managed.
A well-run staff meeting will be motivational, interesting, and productive. Try some of these ideas
to sharpen your meetings.
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