Six Tips To Make Your Business Meetings More Engaging And Productive

Anita Ginsburg

November 05, 2015


	4.0/5.0 (1 votes total)
	Rate:

When your employees get a meeting request in their inbox, chances are it’s accompanied by a mental groan. Employees can spend over 30 hours in meetings every month, and out of those hours, they probably consider around half of it to be a waste of time. Avoid this condition by trying these six tips to create an engaging and productive environment for your team.

Make Them Laugh

Laughing not only increases the feel-good brain chemicals, dopamine and endorphins, but it creates a sense of unity within group settings. A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology links humor in team environments to positively affecting the performance of the members. Use the first few minutes of the meeting to show a funny clip to your team.

Coloring Books

It may sound absurd, but offering coloring books during a meeting can create a more productive environment. Recent studies have confirmed that coloring activities not only help relieve stress in adults, but doodling also helps improve memory. Publishing companies now offer coloring books geared to adults.

Get Out of the Office

Hosting your meeting at an offsite location not only benefits your team’s morale, but it also positively affects their bodies. Getting your employees out of their offices can help them focus better and get excited about going. Consider places that have all the equipment you need for your meetings, like Noah’s Event Venues.

Keep It Structured

It’s easy to get off topic during a meeting, but this often results in meetings running late or important items not getting covered. Avoid this by setting a strict structure of what will be discussed in the meeting, and send it out beforehand so that all your employees know what to expect.

No Repeats

When individuals disagree on something, it seems to be human nature to return to the same argument over and over again. This not only wastes time, but it can negatively impact the team’s morale. Setting a limited amount of time to each item will result in a smooth flow.

Follow-up

Whenever there is a mix of ideas and opinions, it’s not always clear the result of the final decisions. To keep everyone on the same page, be sure to send out the concrete details in an email or newsletter.

Business meetings shouldn’t feel like a waste of time for you or your employees. These tips can help keep them engaged and productive.