Photo by logan jeffrey on Unsplash
When it comes to business, meetings have gained so much of a bad rep. That’s because they’re usually unnecessary, badly run and nothing gets decided in them. It is estimated that 70% of meetings keep employees from doing productive work.
Team meetings, whether in-person or virtual, are an important part of helping your team bond and work together as a unit. It’s important you get them right.
We’ve rounded up some interesting meeting ideas to make your next team get-together a little more fun and interesting.
Working lunch
If your team is office based or lives in the same area, then why not book a table at a local cafe or restaurant and talk over some delicious food? You could take turns choosing the location and types of food. One meeting could be over an avocado egg toast brunch and the next could be a sushi bar or gastro pub. Research has shown that sharing a meal with people produces chemicals in your brain that bond you to them, which is great for team building.
Standing meeting
Rather than have everyone clustered around a meeting room table, get rid of the furniture and have a standing meeting. Not only is it better for your health, but it will make sure that everyone is keeping to the point and the meeting is on track.
Take a walk
Why not take advantage of the fresh air and get out and about. Office work often involves a lot of sitting and this type of sedentary lifestyle can have a terrible effect on your health. The concept is simple, you just walk and talk.
Take turns
Usually, the team leader or manager sets the agenda and leads the meeting. Change the status quo by switching up who leads the meetings. Not only does it change the tone of the meeting, but it can keep team members engaged as they step up to set the agenda and lead the discussion. It’s great for confidence building and for building engagement levels.
Choose a theme
Team meetings often try to cram too many ideas or issues into a single meeting. This means that there usually isn’t enough time or focus to make and real change in that area. Give each of your catch-ups a theme. For example, one meeting could be about productivity, the next could tackle future planning and roadmaps.
Take the little and often approach
Finding a balance is the key to a good team meeting. Many successful teams find that having regular, but short, team meetings (or stand-ups) works really well. Rather than spending hours plowing through agenda points once per month or quarter, having a quick catch-up on a weekly basis can be far more beneficial and keep the momentum going.
Successful teams get things done, but it doesn’t happen automatically and takes work. To make team meetings meaningful, you need to find ways of tackling the main issues in a way that gets the job done but also builds engagement within the team too.
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