As a manager or business owner, you’ll value staff meetings. You’ll see them as a great way to communicate with your team, to update their training, to give them any news and to give and receive feedback. But, if you’ve ever been an employee, you might remember them differently. Most employees hate team meetings. They dread them. They find them boring, demotivating and usually, a total waste of time. Very rarely do team members get much out of staff meetings, and you might find yourself becoming frustrated with them.
You know that they can be useful. You know that you can use them to help your team. But, for most business owners, it just isn’t working. Here are some tips that could help you to get more out of your team meetings.
Hold them at the Right Time
Getting the timing of your meetings right is essential, and very much depends on the nature of your business. If you run a retail store or restaurant, it can be tough finding a time that’s convenient for your staff, but your doors are closed to the public. It’s also worth remembering that very few people are at their best if they’ve been forced out of bed very early. Especially if it’s to sit down and listen to a dull meeting.
Find the Right Location
If you’ve got a small team or a large workspace, it might be easier to just hold your meetings in the office at the end of a day. But, you might find that your meetings are more productive if you get out of the office for a while. Some people find that a more informal setting is a better fit. Others prefer a large conference room with a table and chairs helps to keep things on track. Whatever you prefer, use room scheduling tools to help you to find the right space at the right time.
Don’t Have Them Too Often
There’s usually no need for a monthly team meeting, and you certainly shouldn’t need them more often than that. Too many meetings and your staff are bored before they start. You are wasting everyone’s time with non-essential repetition.
Instead, only hold a meeting when you’ve got something important to say. If you’ve got an open office that promotes communication and honesty, you shouldn’t need formal meetings to connect with your employees.
Encourage Engagement
If your meetings feature someone standing at the front talking at the team, chances are no-one is really listening and everything will be long forgotten within a few days if it makes it out of the door. Instead, encourage engagement. Stay away from cliches and cheesy icebreakers and games that make everyone cringe. But, encourage your staff to share opinions, to ask questions and to make suggestions. The more involved that they are, the more productive the meeting will be.
Keep them Short
Fewer meetings don’t have to mean longer sessions. Go. In with an agenda made up of the things that need to be said. Leave room in the schedule for other people to talk, but stay on track and stick to a shorter time limit.