The Secret to Holding More Productive Meetings

Picture this:

You get called in for meeting in the middle of a busy work day. The meeting seems to take forever and go nowhere – either the point could be covered in a memo, or you’re not really sure why you even need to be there in the first place. Sitting there, you can’t help but wonder about all the more productive things you could be doing with your time…

We’ve all experienced boring meetings – maybe you’ve even given a less-than-inspiring meeting yourself. But what is it that separates a productive meeting from a colossal waste of everyone’s time?

From movies to commercials, the “boring meeting” has become such a lampooned part of corporate culture that it it has shifted our perception of what purpose a meeting can serve. We have adjusted our expectations to meet the stereotypical perception of a company meeting.

As an employee, what do you expect when you informed of a company meeting?

Do you think, “I wonder what it is now… hopefully it’s not another waste of my time”?

Or do you say, “Great! I’m looking forward to what I will learn in this meeting”?

Conversely, if you are the one calling the meeting, what do you think? If you are going into a meeting with low expectations of imparting meaningful information on the attendees, than they probably will get little out of the meeting.

The Curse of the Boring Meeting

Unproductive meetings are a reality in many workplaces, but it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, a meeting – when held properly – can be a greatly effective tool for both employers and employees. Productive meetings can stimulate cooperation, creative growth and performance. They are a great resource for team-building and can also provide a great learning space.

So how do you do it? What is the secret to holding more productive meetings?

Recently, coworking spaces have been taking up that question and the answers they are coming up with could supply the missing link.

The Secret to Productive Meetings Explained

What coworking spaces have proved is that space and social setting both play as major factors in how employees engage in the workday. More and more, employers are finding that socially healthy employees are more apt to engage with their work than those deprived of social outlets.

So it’s only natural that coworking spaces would be a natural fit for social integration within the meeting room.

Benefiting from the built-in social components of coworking spaces (shared resources, common areas, open floorplans), meeting rooms can become places that encourage interaction.

Here are some other tips for holding more productive meetings:

• If you use the same meeting room all the time, consider changing the venue for spontaneity. Find a space that provides an opportunity for your employees to engage with one another.
• Incorporate mixed media into your presentations
• Factor in attendee-participation
• For all-day meetings, make sure to provide ample breaks and social opportunities

Tampa Meeting Rooms

Our meeting room rentals are readily-equipped to handle diverse meeting needs on an on-demand basis. In addition to coming fully A/V-ready, our meeting rooms also offer in-house refreshments and catering availability. We also offer fully-equipped corporate classrooms and training space for large groups.