Better Staff Meetings – 4 quick tips
Many times a staff meeting is scheduled and carried out that “could just have been an email.” People are busy and the last thing they need is to be taken away from that work. (Ironically enough, many times staff meetings are held specifically to address concerns with productivity.)
Still, there is a need for face-to-face staff meetings. While email is great, the written word can’t convey tones or emotions.
Since you absolutely need to have the occasional staff meeting, we’ve decided to give you 4 quick tips so those meetings will go smoothly. Tips that even HR experts agree with.
Staff Meeting Tip #1 – Agenda
It is of utmost importance to set an Agenda for the meeting. That way, the attendees will be able to come prepared for the meeting by bringing any documentation and reports, as well as knowing if they should come prepared with their laptops and equipment, or just a notebook.
Staff Meeting Tip #2 – Who should Attend
Don’t automatically assume that a staff meeting should include all of your staff (unless your firm is small enough). Not everyone has to be at every meeting, and it’s vitally important that when someone is requested to be at a meeting that they have a part to play, and are getting value from it as well.
Staff Meeting Tip #3 – Start on Time and End on Time
Sometimes people run late. It happens. If you make a big deal out of it, you’ll only slow down the meeting further. If it’s a recurring issue, then maybe the meeting time is the problem. Regardless of the time you start, it is crucial that you end your meeting on time. This gives everyone a chance to return missed emails and calls, at the time they said they would. Also, if the meeting is in the afternoon, it helps to not let the clock run out, so work doesn’t have to get pushed for tomorrow.
Staff Meeting Tip #4 – Feedback
It is critically important that you get feedback from your attendees. Afterall, they may feel the meeting truly was a waste of their time, or that nothing got discussed or done. Maybe the timing is bad, or they are too frequent, or not frequent enough. This doesn’t have to reflect badly on you as the person who ran the meeting. The reason why you have a team is because work is accomplished collaboratively, and other opinions are necessary as well.
If you’re ready to book your next meeting, whether a staff meeting, client meeting, or corporate meeting, why don’t you consider booking with Toronto Meetings. Beautifully designed rooms, set up exactly the way you want them, for as many attendees as you’d like.
