Does anything actually get done in your staff meetings?
The editorial team for Indeed, a leading job site (www.indeed.com) and a global job matching and hiring platform, came up with 17 ideas for holding effective staff meetings. These recommendations are divided into 12 things to do and seven not to do.
DO
Celebrate Accomplishments. Always take a few minutes to recognize team members who have achieved notable goals in their position. It sets a positive tone for the meeting.
Be Brief. Try to be economical with time. This allows employees time to focus on their own tasks.
Start on Time. It encourages team members to show up on time. It also helps you establish a professional atmosphere.
Take a Break if Necessary. If the meeting is longer than an hour, offer participants a break. They can stretch, use the restroom, or get a drink.
Set an Example. Act professionally and show respect to attendees to build trust. Try to embody the behavior you request of team members.
Show Enthusiasm. Speak energetically about topics you consider important. Team members may get excited about them, too.
Encourage Participation. Ask team members what they think frequently. You want the meeting to be a conversation with people, not a lecture.
Be wary of Time Zones. If some of your team members are remote, consider time zones when choosing a meeting time. Try to select a time that’s convenient for everybody.
Have Fun. Staff meetings can be an opportunity to bond and have fun. Consider including a brief game or a silly icebreaker.
Send a Follow-up Email. Remind the team of important topics discussed by sending a short follow-up email after the meeting. This may help encourage proactivity on action items.
Set Goals. Tell team members what assignments area priority. You may also discuss what you hope to achieve in the coming week, month or quarter.
Include Activities. Offer an opportunity for team members to engage with the material. For example, you could assign them a presentation, a small group discussion, or a survey.
DON’T DO
Shy Away from Conflict. Team members may disagree about some topics, or employees may disagree with management decisions. Encouraging everyone to share their opinions respectfully may promote open communication and improve outcomes.
Reschedule Often. It’s important for leaders to maintain their proposed time as often as possible instead of rescheduling or canceling often out of respect for team members’ schedules. If something urgent arises, consider merging the meeting into next week’s meeting or emailing with updates instead.
Try to Fill Time. If there are only a few matters to discuss, let employees return to their tasks early. Assigning tasks or topics to fill the full meeting time may take everyone away from more productive activities.
Engage in Distractions. Try to focus only on the meeting instead of on your laptop or phone. This shows engagement and communicates to employees that this time matters to you.
Exclude Remote Team Members. Remember to include team members virtually, especially if most of your team works on-site. Ensure they can see everybody through the camera and test their mics so they can speak up during the meeting.
Derek Weaver, writer for www.strety.com, a provider of business operating systems, notes that a key to a productive meeting is having a productive agenda. Not enough time is invested in pre-meeting prep work. Think of it like planning an event.
Meetings must have a purpose and a desired outcome. Before you begin creating an agenda, figure out if you need to meet. If the topic doesn’t require interaction, another communication medium, like an email or memo, will likely be more efficient. Once you’ve decided a meeting is necessary, make the purpose known, even including it in the agenda, so everyone else explicitly knows why you’re meeting.
Collaborate on the agenda in advance. Ideas for the agenda should bubble up from team members. They’ll be more involved and invested in the meeting.
Whittle the list down. Determine which topics will really add value to the meeting and drop any content that doesn’t contribute to the meeting’s purpose and desired outcome(s).
Items early on in an agenda receive a disproportionate amount of time and attention, so order your topics in order of importance. Know the difference between what’s essential to cover and what would be nice.
Look for agenda items that should be addressed within or around one another. This will help your agenda flow more smoothly.
