How to Make Those Dull Staff Meetings More Interesting

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We’ve all sat in mind-numbingly dull staff meetings. Usually, first thing in the morning when we’d rather be tucked up in bed. These meetings are meant to teach us new skills, give us essential information about the company that we work for and help us to bond with our fellow employees. They usually just bore us. We sit for an hour or so with people talking at us, we take very little in, and we remember even less. We come out of these meetings tired, bored and massively unmotivated. Quite the opposite of how we are supposed to feel. 

As an employer, however, it is easy to fall into the same trap. While you might go in with the very best of intentions, you might start to notice your team members nodding off as you speak. This is unfortunate, because these meetings if run well, can increase productivity, boost morale and improve performance. Here are some of the things that you could do to make those dull team meetings more interesting, and so, more successful. 

Keep It Short

The worst meetings are the ones that drag on. Hours, and hours of boring chatter, that never seems to go anywhere. Your team members are bound to get bored. Try to keep most meetings to one hour or less. If it absolutely needs to be longer, make sure you give everyone a break in the middle. 

Have a Plan

Having a plan for your meeting will help to keep it short and concise. Think about what you really need to say, plan some activities, and make sure you have a strict schedule that you can stick to. 

Try Fun Activities

Try to avoid just sitting talking at your team. Create puzzles with WordMint as a fun way to share information and increase understanding. Try team games and find ways to get people moving. You could even bring some creative supplies in, and let everyone make a mess.

Invite Suggestions

The best way to ensure your meetings aren’t dull is to get your staff members involved. Ask them what they want from sessions, give them a space in the schedule to ask questions or offer feedback, and ask them what bits they found dull. 

Try Not to Be Cheesy

Activities are great. They are a good way to get people interacting and engaged, but they can go terribly wrong. Anything too cheesy is just going to get your team rolling their eyes. Think about your team, and structure your meeting to suit them. A group of students or younger staff might enjoy playing games and team bonding exercises, but would a group of older adults respond in the same way? Probably not.

Get Other People Involved

Your team hears from you all of the time. You can use morning briefings to pass on information that they need and save team meetings for more significant changes and updates. Get other people involved to spice things up. Bring outsiders and consultants in to run training sessions, or experts in different fields to share knowledge. 

Time Them Right

Few people are at their best first thing in the morning. But, your staff might not want to stay behind after a long shift either. Could you have your meetings during the workday? When everyone is feeling more alert.

Implementing these tips can easily turn your typical dull staff meetings into one that’s more interesting. Do you have any other creative tips to get more engagement during meetings? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time ASSASSINS. . . Stay Disciplined!

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