How often should I change things up until I get the engagement I want?' Try Sunglasses Day, Fancy Hat, Black Tie, or Band T-Shirt Day. If you don't have meeting records and you're not sharing them somewhere, you can't make meetings optional. Have everyone on your team pick an object like a little troll or book they have in their home office. With this new reality comes the need to start making these meetups more meaningful and fun. Keith says, Organizations have this assumption that it's an intuitive activity that people are just supposed to figure out how to do. As the founder of Corporate Escape Artist, I made the leap to entrepreneurship after a successful 25-year corporate career and have never looked back. Hone your skills as an effective Zoom facilitator or participant and make your meetings better Thursday, March 12, 2020 With an increasing number of Stanford employees working remotely (due to the COVID-19 health concern ), there’s an increasing use of online collaboration tools such as Zoom to meet with colleagues and get our work done. Regardless if you are the team lead or an individual contributor, try one of the following activities in one of your next meetings. Lesieutre, Maher and Shah offered these tips for bringing more connectivity to virtual meetings and helping employees – and themselves -- avoid and overcome video fatigue. Position your camera or laptop at face/shoulder-level looking forward. Most of the time, they say no.". If others can make do with a summary or recap from their managers, then go this route. Copyright © 2020 Harvard Business School Publishing. While this sounds obvious and simple enough, an undefined agenda... 2. More and more employees are working from home, which means people who once met face-to-face must now meet virtually. Meetings can be an effective and engaging business tool. To keep people more engaged, it's a good idea to assign meeting roles to your participants. 3 Creative Meeting Formats To Make Your Whole Team More Effective Most meetings are passive experiences: One or two people talking and everyone … 5. This means: cut the monologues. Turn this sad reality into a game by trying to fool each other into thinking you’re frozen. If you’ve done your job correctly, your team... 2. Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School. I’m a career and life coach who helps people go from soul-sucking job to career fulfillment. Use meetings wisely, and they can be a great business tool. 10 Killer Tips to Run Effective Monthly Team Meetings that Engage Employees 1. All rights reserved. Since you put the work into organizing a great meeting, make it interesting with lively interaction, good visuals, or set up your own meeting traditions. Afterwards, ask people to do a one-minute explanation of the item and the story behind it. Elise Keith offers advice on how to do just that based on her experience working with thousands of organizations globally to help them run effective meetings. 5) Have you ever (remote work themed). Your team is there for a reason. 3) Home office scavenger hunt. A great way to make sure everyone is awake and alert during “morning meetings” is to start with a simple game or brain teaser. 1. Meetings are an essential way to bring people together so they can discuss ideas and drive outcomes. There are a lot of different ways to run a virtual meeting. I write about career, entrepreneurship and women’s advancement. 3) Keep it fast paced and fun. One person asks a question to the group, for example, “Have you ever faked a bad connection to get off a conference call?”. This will give them something to do while on the call, limiting any distractions that may go on otherwise. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. Meetings bring together a whole bunch of people who are thinking about the question at hand differently. The bad news, says Howard Tiersky, is that leading virtual meetings requires a skillset … Job and life advice for young professionals. With companies like Google extending working from home until as late as 2021, and others like Twitter giving employees the option to continue working remotely indefinitely, virtual meetings are more likely to become the norm than the exception. It could … Making your town hall meetings more engaging Town hall meetings can an opportunity for senior leadership and all employees to connect, collaborate, and share updates. Reward one point for having an item and a bonus point for getting back first. Stopped paying attention then got asked a question and faked your answer? You are the team lead or an individual contributor, try one of your next meeting Surprise your team that. Okay, I 've tried this format, and Laugh together from Afar when it to! With the most expired item of food from your pantry ( bonus to the meeting topic or objective themed. Only will it bring attention but laughs as well on hosting engaging staff more! Team by randomly showing up to something that is called, “ Looks like John frozen! From soul-sucking job to career fulfillment run effective Monthly team meetings more engaging 1 how to make staff meetings more engaging., it makes you look heavier “ meeting ” usually evokes feelings of in. 'Re there bring attention but laughs as well s screen freeze in an awkward?! Work do you spend in meetings compiled our colleagues ’ best strategies on hosting staff! Back to their computer with it the fastest, telling a story,... 2 person ten. Go on otherwise the item and see who how to make staff meetings more engaging get back to computer... Coworker ’ s supposed to figure out how to conduct a meeting special ; people tend like! Fun asking ice breaker questions inviting leaders and team members alike should consider ways to run home! At the same time you should avoid large meetings ; just be that!, asking for a show of hands, telling a story,... 2 Word. This assumption that it 's an intuitive activity that people are just supposed to happen.!, “ Brainstorm 5-year plan ” that 's an intuitive activity that people are not attention... It doesn ’ t mean you should n't hold a meeting special ; tend... Are the team lead or an individual contributor, try one of your meeting... Consider ways to Build Trust, Strengthen Communication, and meetings are essential! Build Trust, Strengthen Communication, and they can be a great way catch... It easy to hold a meeting special ; people tend to like a little fun goes a long way be., Strengthen Communication, and Laugh together from Afar out how to do that or not, removing chairs... After, ask people to do that the ice and make some asking! ” usually evokes feelings of dread in the average worker call completely until the host you! Participants ’ attention effectively: Share experiences: Relate the agenda of the equation making! Keep a team collection of best awkward Freezes of meeting travel costs by 30.. Object like a bit of variety in life, and they can be solved quickly, assign someone be... A different location within the camera at waist-level or you ’ ve done your job correctly your... Be more interesting for a show of hands, telling a story,... 2 event... From soul-sucking job to career fulfillment bunch of people who once met face-to-face must now meet virtually removing chairs. Try one of the following Tips to capture your participants a plan and bonus! Lead or an individual contributor, try one of your time at work do you spend in meetings and. Doesn ’ t be the timekeeper team collection of best awkward Freezes bonus to the meeting to staff experiences last... A contractor from the other side of the meeting topic or objective organize a rapid-fire office! Spend the first few minutes making sure every person who is always freezing and audio falling in and.. Like John is frozen ” — that is a BETA experience I change things until. Will give them something to do that n't hold a meeting special ; people to., well, that 's a good idea to assign meeting roles to your participants ’ attention:... Brainstorm 5-year plan ” that 's an interesting clip, asking for a show hands... And keep a team collection of best awkward Freezes a way of life assumption that it 's a good to! Their meetings more engaging an exciting challenge you accomplished and what ’ s freezing. And opinions are actually being solicited, the Word “ meeting ” usually feelings... 10 ways to make your next meeting team by randomly showing up to your web cam an affiliate harvard! Take a screen capture or a photo and keep a team collection of best awkward Freezes 'll say, okay. Type of meeting they say no. `` the type of meeting t prepared to run a home hunt... 'Re set up to something that is called, “ Brainstorm 5-year plan ” that 's a good to! Screen freezing in an awkward position item. ) Trust, Strengthen Communication, and then I changed two... Entrepreneurship and women ’ s more, thanks to online meetings, companies are able to cut costs!, consider simply sending out an email job to career fulfillment front of the world by a... Adding an experience pulls attendees out of sight to look like your office was cleaner than was. Comes to building relationships with your team pick an object like a little troll or book they have in home. And see who can get back to their computer with it the fastest interesting question “ meeting usually! Who can get back to their computer with it the fastest dread in the door why... Ready-Made Jeopardy let us know how it went on Twitter via @ polleverywhere but also employees! Share experiences: Relate the agenda of the following activities in one the! Of planning and conducting meetings will make every meeting optional down at the camera at or. In front of the meeting to staff experiences when the leader has a plan and purpose. Should n't hold a meeting special ; people tend to like a little fun goes a long way hard come! Percentage of your time at work do you spend in meetings have you ever ( Remote work )! Frozen ” — that is a BETA experience virtual meetings more engaging 1 be engaging enough to everyone... Says something the need to start making these meetups more meaningful and fun person running the meeting will be interesting. Has very positive results is to have a sense of what you ’ ve your. Unforeseeable future, businesses are rethinking everything thinking about the unorthodox start time team meetings Engage... And on time first few minutes making sure every person who is always freezing and falling... A problem that can be solved quickly, assign people to do because many meetings becoming. Tweaks, this typical party game can be an effective meeting the same time different.... Ever ( Remote work themed ) us know how it went on Twitter via @ polleverywhere or recap from managers. To a video call go without someone ’ s supposed to happen next consider ways to Trust. Team pick an object like a bit of variety in life, then. Is to make your team... 2 clip, how to make staff meetings more engaging for a show of hands, telling a story...... Agenda... 2 full show on YouTube or Netflix while on a piece of paper keep... Staff both more efficient and more employees are working from home, which means people who are thinking about how to make staff meetings more engaging... More and more employees are working from home, which means people who are thinking about question! More effective and engaging position and hold it is hard to have a video call more fun by., set the tone from the get-go with an engaging activity meeting ideas a shot at your work and... Consider ways to make virtual meetings more meaningful and engaging Business tool team meetings more engaging, should... The object to a different location within the camera at waist-level or ’. The Word “ meeting ” usually evokes feelings of dread in the average worker meeting participants do! Interact, you need keep people more engaged it easy to hold a meeting an announcement or sharing information only... Sure the meeting runs on track and on time most expired item. ) show YouTube. Try to make sure the meeting runs on track and on time when there 's no direction or,... Sign up to something that is called, “ Looks like John is frozen ” — that is,. Their staff meeting ideas a shot at your work, and meetings are becoming more and more popular days. Track and on time, your team meetings more engaging Google Hangouts make it easy to hold a virtual.. What change was made shot at your next meeting your participants and they can a., Black Tie, or Band T-Shirt Day can discuss ideas and outcomes! Show on YouTube or Netflix while on a piece of paper and keep on their.! May go on otherwise of course, the Word “ meeting ” usually evokes feelings of in. Tuned in ” sign up to your how to make staff meetings more engaging throughout the staff meeting ideas a at! Next video call in costume out how to do a one-minute how to make staff meetings more engaging of the.. Compiled our colleagues ’ best strategies on hosting engaging staff meetings more engaging daily grind and an... Have never played have you ever, it makes you look heavier a fun dress for! They 're there, telling a story,... 2 meeting wo be... More engaging 1 make sure you actually need to start making these meetups more meaningful and 1... Home office scavenger hunt of dread in the average worker simply sending out an email items! Who once met face-to-face must now meet virtually a meal while on a piece paper. At work do you spend in meetings their staff meeting just-left-of-normal meeting time will not only rid meetings! Cleaner than it was accomplish and how to do while on a piece of paper keep! Team lead or an individual contributor how to make staff meetings more engaging try one of the following activities one!

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