If you’re reading this, we are going to assume that you are (1) currently stuck in a less-than-productive staff meeting punctuated by a chain-reaction yawn or (2) you’re a go-getter who is looking to breathe some life into an upcoming staff meeting and your meeting more engaging. Either way, here at Royal Cup, we’re known for being high energy, highly caffeinated and highly productive, so we pulled together some of our team’s favorite ways to turn a slow staff meeting into the highlight of the week.
- Shake it up. Take the opportunity to turn your staff meeting on its head by changing its location – whether that’s a new space in your office, or somewhere off-site like your favorite breakfast spot.
- Bring action items. Consistent meetings should always have an updated agenda for whos talking about what. At least, have action items for each team member to prepare beforehand. Define your goal for the meeting, that could be updating the team, decision making, or brainstorming.
- Take it offline. When the conversation takes a turn toward a matter that is not relevant to the group as a whole, set the topic aside for a separate meeting to discuss… might we suggest over a cup of coffee?
- Watch the clock. And we don’t mean in a “when will this end?” mindset. Keep everyone on topic and on time by setting a time limit for discussions by putting ten minutes or so on the clock to discuss a certain issue. Once time is up, move on to the next topic of conversation.
- No chairs allowed. Turn your standing meeting into a literal standing meeting by taking chairs out of the equation. Studies show that we can be more creative and have higher levels of engagement when standing.
- Fuel the team. It’s no secret that offices flock toward the promise of food or drinks in a meeting. Wake up the team by bringing in Royal Cup coffee and breakfast pastries, or provide a mid-day pick-me-up with cold brew coffee and snacks.
- Go big. Whether you are deciding on a direction for your next initiative or planning a timeline for an upcoming project, make sure that no one sneaks past as a silent participant. If you’re having a brainstorm, use a smart board or post-its to turn meeting hand-outs into hands-on materials that folks can write on, point at and interact with.
These are just seven ideas of how to amp up your staff meeting, but we want to hear how you keep the team on their toes. Tweet us @RoyalCup with your boring meeting busters!
