If your office meetings are not as productive as they can be, it may be due to lack of employee engagement or fresh ideas. Here are some ways to bring office meetings to the next level.
Bring Snacks
Food and drinks are always a good way to make your employees engage in meetings. There are many alternatives besides the usual staples of doughnuts, bagels, and coffee. You can bring in a delicious fresh fruit platter for a delectable, colorful, and healthy snack that offers variety for your team. If your meeting is around lunchtime, you do not need to order fast food or boring salads. Instead, try something simple but delicious, such as making your own tacos and burritos, or vegetables dipped in hummus. For a sweet treat, try parfaits or a trail mix that has chocolate in it. These are all more nutrition-conscious options your employees will love.
Pick the Perfect Space
Depending on where your business is located, it can make a huge difference to rent out a space. This can be good if you do not have a conference room in your office, or it is not large enough to accommodate the amount of people. It is easy to find spaces in your area that you can rent out for short periods of time with a simple internet search. For example, if you live in Los Angeles, California, search for “los angeles meeting rooms” and you will have a list of buildings that have rooms available for hourly rental rates. You can even rent the rooms for multiple days at a time if you plan on having guests from out of town and need a designated area to conduct business outside of your usual place of work.
Opt Outside
Sometimes the best way to think of fresh ideas and take advantage of the good weather is to have your meeting outdoors. Changing environments is a great way to unblock your mind and potentially come up with solutions to problems that you may not think of in your normal workspace. Additionally, you can bring some snacks or lunch and have a picnic outside, making it a treat for your employees as well as a business meeting. Consider setting up at a local park or even at an outdoor table from a cafe or restaurant, where your employees can order their favorite food and drinks.
Have an Agenda
Any meeting that runs smoothly most likely has an agenda that has been prepared ahead of time by the supervisor or team leader. This is especially important if you are running short on time or there is a lot of ground that needs to be covered. You should set a goal for the meeting as well, and remind employees of the overarching objective if things start getting off track or conflicts arise. Be sure to include room in your agenda to interact with employees, and even have them do exercises or group activities if you need a group solution to an issue.
Welcome Feedback and Ideas
Sometimes it can be intimidating for subordinates to give feedback to supervisors, but if you want to work as a team rather than a traditional workplace, let your employees know that they are allowed to contribute ideas constructively. When you are planning your meeting, approach employees that have expertise in certain areas about giving presentations or contributing their own solutions to the problems addressed at the gathering. You can also do a tactic like putting an idea box or anonymous system for reporting, so that your employees do not feel intimidated by giving their opinions on important workplace matters that may be sensitive to discuss.
Having productive and engaging office meetings does not have to be a difficult task to accomplish. With these tips, you are sure to make major improvements in your meetings, which will no doubt increase your productivity and efficiency as a company overall.
