A few minutes off-site can be a great way to make meetings memorable!
There is no doubt that business meetings take up a great deal of our time and resources. Meetings can either be a time of frustration and angst or a time of meaningful reflection and team building. The key and trick is to make meetings memorable for the right reasons.
Leaders will frequently set aside dedicated time to for a “team meeting.” These are often monthly or quarterly team get togethers for updates, exchange of new information, perhaps some team bonding. They occur with a frequency that is great for information downloads, but not necessarily making and sustaining meaningful personal connections among the team members. What if we took a different approach to all of our meetings. Seeing each of them as a way to deepen relationships at every interaction rather than just once a month.
A quick 10-minute check in with team members at every meeting is a great way to make team building and team bonding a meaningful use of team time. Operational meetings often include people from other functional areas, which then enhances personal relationships across the whole of the organization. In turn, this also improves organizational communication and contributes to breaking down silos.
Other ideas include:
Going to an off-site location
Asking a silly question prior to the meeting
Story=telling has been a favorite for many years
5 or 10 minutes of pre-meeting networking
Giving a team-member "spotlight" prior to the meeting.
This is a real demonstration of commitment among leaders to make team building a daily practice rather than a checkmark in the box. Consistent team building enhances your path to high-performance more quickly as it provides team members with more opportunities to get to know one another at a deeply personal level rather than surface level.
“We’re craving connections” Lucy Rau, Founder Compassionate Connections
We spend a lot of time in meetings. Use that time to enhance employee engagement with the opportunity to personally connect with others.
Coming soon! Engaging your employees:
12 strategic activities to drive your organization’s culture and commitment.
Comments