5 Ways To Improve Your Meetings

Let's be honest, meetings can be pretty boring these days. When you know you've got a meeting coming up, the odds are you're not jumping for joy. Lucky for you, we got your back. If you're tired of hosting dull meetings where workers are not engaged and seldom retain the important information you're providing, today's post is for you. Here will showcase 5 simple and easy ways to improve your meetings and group strategizing sessions.

1.) Create An Agenda

First things first, you need to create a detailed list of tasks and goals you hope to accomplish during your meeting. Don't just fly by the seat of your pants. A well thought out plan of attack with a dedicated amount of time for each is the smart way to keep your meetings on track.

If you want to take things a step further, print out a "meeting agenda" for each person and sit it in front of the seats around the conference table so visitors know exactly what to expect throughout the course of your group session.

2.) Streamline Activities

If you have to stop your meetings to wheel in squeaky AV carts and presentation tools, it's a problem. This stuff needs to be set up before hand. It's very important to streamline your activities as effectively as possible.

Investing in modern conference room table with a powered top will do wonders for your business. Believe it or not, cost effective options are available. You'll be rewarded with surface level inputs that make it easy to host conference calls, power point presentations, and much more.

If you're not in a position to purchase a new conference table, consider purchasing a portable module like the FlexCharge9 from ESI that can be used in multiple places. It's available for just $175.00.

You can further improve your conference room meetings with a smart TV that's linked to your laptop. This avoids the need for old school AV carts all together. It will also do wonders for corporate appeal.

Streamlining your meeting activities means keeping your group strategizing sessions on track. Make sure to stick to the time limits allotted on your agenda to avoid running over. Ensure all your multi media components are setup and working properly before the meeting starts.

3.) Use Comfortable Chairs

There's something to be said for comfortable chairs. During your next meeting, take a look around. Are your employees constantly fidgeting? It's likely do the their inability to get comfortable in the chairs surrounding your conference table.

Commonly conference rooms are outfitted with passed down chairs. If you treat your space like a catch all for all the hammy down products your employees no longer use, your meeting will pay the price.

It's a great idea to invest in ergonomically correct chairs for the conference room from a reputable brand you can trust. Cost effective options are widely available for less than $200.00. We recommend popular chairs like the 10904B from Offices To Go. It's very comfortable, easy to use, and neutral enough to blend without overpowering your furniture.

4.) Encourage Creativity

Are you getting your meeting guests involved? If not, it's time to encourage a littler interaction and creativity. Ask any office design specialist and they'll quickly tell you, it's all about creating collaborative interiors in 2017.

Collaborative interiors encourage creativity and they keep workers engaged. The conference room is perhaps the easiest area to improve collaboration and spark creativity. During your important meetings, make sure to ask questions! Avoid rambling on for hours on end. This is extremely draining and when it happens, important info is lost in translation.

Don't be afraid to use that perfectly functional dry erase board that's been mounted to your conference room wall for years. Taking notes as a group, asking questions, and even games can be implemented to boost creativity levels and improve your meetings.

5.) Tasty Snacks

Last but certainly not least, you need to provide tasty snacks and refreshments. Sure donuts qualify as tasty, but unfortunately they'll leave everyone feeling ready for a nap after they've been scarfed down.

Alternatively, consider bringing in fresh fruit and juice. Coffee isn't a bad thing as it will keep everyone awake, but a little variety goes a long way.

If you're hosting meetings later in the day, you might consider having it catered or turning it into a pot luck to make it a bit more enjoyable for your guests. In the long run, tasty snacks and refreshments will make your meetings feel more like fun group gatherings, and that's a good thing!