Who invented meetings, anyway? You can resolve a ton of relevant office matters through other means, such as a formal letter, an e-mail, or even a simple phone call. Not only is this more straightforward; it’s also time-efficient compared to grouping six people in a room and talking about who knows what. Waking up from your pondering, you proceed to join your colleagues and greet your slightly angry boss.
Are Meetings Still Relevant?
Whether you hate them or not, meetings still have essential purposes. For instance, meetings represent your collective identity as a team and define what separates you and the rest. They build a sense of belonging, unlike other forms of communication.
Meetings are perfect opportunities for leaders to give the team updates. Meetings can encourage brainstorming and welcoming other perspectives. However, not all meetings are fruitful. Some people are susceptible to misguidance and direction, forgetting objectives or just slacking off.
Adding Variation
The good news is that meetings don’t have to be limited to office spaces and square tables. With technology and event planning, meetings can be more fun and productive. Although technology has resulted in more convenient meetings, there’s nothing like a face-to-face encounter where you feel a human connection and observe body language.
Who also said that meetings had to be in the office? A yearly planning session can be held in near places. If you have a big budget, hotels in Seattle can offer amenities and decent working spaces for conducting meetings. If you want to meet outside the office, you need to consider many things.
Meeting Essentials
If your location is far away and inaccessible, you might suffer from sparse attendance. Discuss venues before finalizing a place, as well as possible transportation problems.
The meeting location must be comfortable and spacious enough. It should have working equipment like microphones and sound or video systems. Nobody wants to be interrupted by a broken mic or get caught up in a wall corner. A good room is not complete without excellent staff. Having attentive people willing to help will save you time and money.
Food and beverages might seem trivial, but they can negatively affect you or your team. Be aware of possible allergies.
Be sure that meeting elsewhere does not make the team look forward to shopping and eating. Instead, make them excited for the meeting by reminding them that there’s unfinished business, regardless of where the conference is set.
It’s important for employees not to feel like they’ve wasted time after it’s done. Be sure to manage expectations by telling them how long it will be and what will be discussed. This makes the meeting run smoothly and more efficiently. It also won’t hurt for the team to be more attentive by doing wake-up exercises and games, especially outside the office setting.
In the end, meetings can be more than just a table discussion; they can also be a venue for the exchange of valuable insights. If you need more suggestions, feel free to consult an expert.
