Employee meetings can be some of the most productive environments, or they could be a nightmare. There’s surely no reason that your meetings should be boring or uncomfortable. Understanding the way people work and why some meetings are successful can really help you create an atmosphere that works for your employees and the business overall.
It doesn’t help any manager when their meetings are stressful and argumentative but it also doesn’t help when they are dull. Productive meetings begin with the setting—the room the meeting is in and the objects inside that room—and includes the tools, comforts, and mood of the meeting. Here are a few things to remember when you are trying to improve company meetings and increase productivity.
Environment of the Meeting
One of the most important factors of meetings is the environment. This goes for both the environment of the conference room and the mood of the people. Cultivating a relaxed yet productive environment may sound difficult but it’s easier than you would think. First think about the design of the conference room. Ask yourself what you could improve to make the atmosphere of the space more conducive to positive hard work. Doing some basic research on the subject of how the space and human mood are related can go quite well for anyone in management.
There are many than one study that show brighter colors lead to better work performance. Positivity comes from within most of the time, but it can also be cultivated. It also helps to offer snacks and beverages. Everyone does better work with healthy food and coffee available. Not only can these things boost the mood of employees, they can significantly improve brain functioning when you need it the most. Think of meetings as an oasis from the mundanity of office life, this is where you all come together to be productive and collaborative.
Using Technology to Schedule
Perfect meetings are always well-planned, down to the individual notes. With all the tools at your disposal, there is no reason that you shouldn’t be using technology to make your meetings deliberate and productive while leaving room for small talk and relaxation. One thing you can do is use a conference room scheduling application to not only schedule the day’s meetings but to detail the meeting’s notes and presentations.
Employees like tools that make their lives easier and more focused, utilize these tools so that they know what they day looks like and be able to think ahead and ponder ideas. Using calendars and other tools will take the mystery out of meetings and allow employees to think about them in more constructive ways.
Using technology in the conference room is also helpful. You can have the schedule, documents, and other tools available on screens connected to the internet. Everyone will be able to interact and edit the online documents and calendars. Keeping an organized schedule and all the things you need online will create a better, more productive structure. Employees will be happier and more efficient, and managers will be enabled to manage.
Offer an Oasis
People perform better when they are content. You should encourage the idea that meetings are a break from the normal day. Here you can talk freely and enjoy coffee. It provides an environment for productive conversation and new ideas. It is a place to bring up concerns. As managers, if we establish the idea of a conference room as an oasis away from stress, a place where problems are solved, you can encourage positivity and productivity. Take all of these things and weave them together. A positive environment and efficiency go hand-in-hand. Cultivate this atmosphere and you will see results in no time.
A perfect meeting is productive, organized, and relaxed. There needs to be room for both fun and scheduling. Make your life easier in the end. Think about the design or the room. Color helps, open spaces do too. Use technology to make everything easier and better organized. Offer snacks and coffee. Make it an oasis.
There is no reason your meetings shouldn’t be better organized and more fun. Take the time to make them more productive and enjoyable. You won’t regret it, you’ll see the benefits of your efforts before you know it.
