At most companies, regular meetings are something employees do not look forward. This feeling can be worsened during the summer months. The last thing workers want to do is sit in a meeting when the weather is beautiful outside. So, rather than being excited to discuss new ideas, many employees find themselves counting down the time when the meeting ends so they can head out for the day and enjoy the summer season. However, there are some ways to keep your employees engaged and excited for summer meetings. Utilizing these strategies can help keep your office more effective and efficient. Here are some ways to keep summer meetings both productive and fun.
Keep Your Employees On Their Feet
Most of the time employees spend almost the entire day seated at their desk and do not have much time to walk around or interact with other co-workers. This can cause them to feel sluggish and disconnected from their colleagues. So, to remedy this situation, “walking meetings” could be just what the office needs. You can hold these meetings outdoors or indoors just so long as you give workers the opportunity to stand and walk around. Some companies even make these meetings active and will play sports like basketball. The point of this tactic is to make everyone feel more energetic and willing to participate. It also helps to create a more casual environment that employees will look forward to being part of.
One of the main reasons employees do not enjoy meetings is because of how long they can take. Sometimes meetings drag on much longer than necessary, causing employees to feel frustrated. So, try cutting down the meeting length by setting clear goals and guidelines about what the meeting will be covering. This can help prevent staff members from going off on tangents and stay on topic. One way to ensure this happens is by setting a timer and enforcing small penalties for meetings that go beyond the allotted time.
Unfortunately, many employees do not feel cared for or appreciated. If they did, they would be willing to do more for their employer, and if your workers are contributing more to the meetings, then they will become more efficient and effective with the increased effort and energy. Implement some positive incentives, for example, if they reach certain goals, they can receive a bonus or a restaurant gift card. You can even do something simple such as asking their how they are doing and listening to their response. If you begin to learn more about them, then you can build better relationships. You also want to ask for their feedback because it will show that you care about their needs. You can ask for ways to improve the meetings and implement any good ideas they come up with.