By: Mindy Rimes
At some point in all of our careers, we’ve all had to attend an unproductive staff meeting. Many organizations host bi-weekly or monthly meetings that can leave staff feeling unsatisfied and possibly even bored with what they’ve learned. Everyone should take away at least one vital bit of important information. The truth is most do not.
Many meetings may seem repetitive and uneventful. Consequently, this may leave your team to feel at a loss for what you could’ve been doing for that hour.
A solution – keep staff engaged. Appoint one person per meeting to lead and provide a straight forward agenda. In our organization, early this year we asked staff to volunteer to facilitate a staff meeting. Throughout the year, we have taken turns facilitating, ensuring a different atmosphere each time since different team members have different approaches.
Other helpful tips include:
Let’s get Moving:
Keep everyone attentive and interacting with the meeting at hand. Ice breakers can be a good learning technique for you and your fellow co-workers. It’s a great way to build team relationships and trust throughout the company. Ice breakers are a great way for you to learn about the co-workers that you may not get to interact with on a daily basis.
Timing is critical:
Make sure you are utilizing your time properly and try to avoid an early morning meeting. Send out a detailed agenda for the meeting beforehand and stay on time. Leave plenty of time for questions and/or concerns that may arise during the meeting. Make sure everything that was listed on the agenda gets addressed and everyone is on the same page.
Keep Everyone Informed:
Let your fellow co-workers know about upcoming changes that may affect them. Discuss changes within departments in case any questions may arise in someone’s absence. This is especially important for any team members that answer phone calls to keep them in the loop about any correspondence that is shared with customers that could increase call volume.
Maintain an Open Mind and Stay Positive:
Be respectful of others’ input and creative solutions. Be an active listener with all information shared during the meeting. Make note of any updates on clients or changes to procedures to ensure that you’re up to speed.
When it comes to staff meeting success, the bottom line is you need to keep your fellow team members invested in the meeting. By using tools like an ice breaker or rotating facilitators, you’ll see an increase in interest.
