MANAGERS MEETING IDEAS

MANAGERS MEETING IDEAS

Meetings play a very important part of any organization. Some people might think it is probably wastage of time, but in the hindsight it proves to be a very beneficial exercise for the company. It is a known fact that ground breaking ideas come up when a team come together and works effortlessly. To have such ideas it is important to have meetings frequently. Sitting face to face and discussing about the growth of the company or an organization is a very crucial part in helping the company to achieve success.

Companies have a number of jobs they have to do, which is why companies have different teams that come together to work for its success. For this reason it is important to understand the dynamics and targets of the company. What are the goals that the company has for itself and how do they achieve it. These are the things that the employees with the help of manager try to answer. For this, meetings are a very effective way of communication. Many companies prefer to have their meetings monthly or twice a month. But for effective and increase productivity of the company, it is often advised to the managers to conduct meetings every week, or in other words to conduct meetings very frequently. It is observed that weekly meeting is much more effective than the monthly meeting because every week the targets and the progress are being observed.

Many people find it very stressful and boring to attend a meeting. Sometimes it becomes tiresome to attend a meeting after a long day at work. There should be a bit of preparation for the meeting and it is sometimes feel tiresome to do that. Here the manager plays a very important role in making the meeting very effective and time worthy. There are many ways to do that. But many of us do not know them or do not get proper guidance to do so. So in this article we will look at some of the tips that could help you as a manager to make your meetings time worthy and effective.

1. Have small meeting teams:

It is often better to form meeting groups. Form small groups of people and conduct meetings with them rather than conducting meeting with a large number of people at a time. In an interview, when asked by the interviewer about how to conduct meeting in an effective way, Jeff Bezos [founder, executive chairman and former president and CEO of Amazon] talked about the “Two Pizzas team rule”. He said that his team consists of such number of people that could be fed 2 pizzas. In other words, the manager should try to conduct meetings with a small group of people rather than a larger one. This would help the manager to bond with the members and know their opinion in certain matters. This way he/ she would also be able to analyze their performances as well. This will not only help them to improve their performance but also will in turn increase the productivity of the organization. Small group would also help the manager to ensure that everyone participate in the meeting and giving their inputs in a meaningful and important discussion.

2. Change the atmosphere:

A lot of companies prefer to conduct meetings in a very formal way. There is a certain kind of order that has to be followed while conducting these meetings whether it is an important one or a meeting to keep them updated about the upcoming events. Sometimes change is necessary and that is the reason why managers should try to change the location to someplace informal. This would provide the employees with a friendly environment and they can easily put forth their ideas and grievances in a more effective way without being fearful and conscious of the surrounding. Many people find it very difficult and intimidating to sit in a conference and attending the meeting. In such cases they are not being able to put forth their ideas which may come in handy in future. If you are holidaying somewhere, you can also go to an extra mile and keep a themed meeting where each and every employee would be given a certain theme to get prepared.

3. A sporty attitude:

Often employees show their respect out of fear and not with genuine feelings. A good manager should always be approachable. By being an approachable person, a manager is also ensuring the growth of the company. This should also be seen in the meetings. A good sense of humor and a sporty attitude goes a long way in making even the most uninteresting meetings into an interesting one.

4. Short and simple:

People often dislike a long meeting. They get bored after a certain period of time. They get distracted after a certain point of time. The time span of their concentration gets less and less as the meeting continues. Therefore try to make the meeting short and simple. Talk about the strategies to the point and bond with your employees. This would help you to make your weekly or monthly meetings very effective.

5. An agenda:

Before conducting any meeting, be clear on what the agenda of your meeting will be. Make a detailed note of what you are going to discuss in the meeting. This is because often while discussing a particular matter we get side tracked and discuss about other matters as well. This will waste a lot of time and your meeting will be longer than you actually thought it to be. And this is not ideal if you want your meeting to be effective. You can also take help of someone who can drive the entire meeting. He/she will keep you on track when you get distracted.

6. Set the tone for the meeting:

Set the tone of the meeting yourself. A manager is often advised to decide whether he/she want to have a formal or an informal meeting. A manager should decide whether they want to have a light hearted meeting or a serious one. Accordingly, you can ask the employees to be prepared for the meeting.

7. Have fun:

Meetings are often considered to be boring and serious one. But it is often seen that the more fun the meeting is the more effective it is. It is often suggested to the managers to use 20% of the meeting time to build relationships with other employees. For example if you are conducting a meeting on Monday, ask them about their weekends and spend some time talking to each other. This would not only help you in strengthening the relationship but will also help in building trust among your team. This would give them a sense of comfort and they view the manager as an approachable person. Being approachable does wonder to the team. It surely encourages the employees to share their ideas and their problems as well.

8. Let everyone participate:

Let the other employees participate in the meeting. Let them discuss their ideas and for this patient and respectful environment is paramount. Let everyone share his/her perspectives and add value to the problem solving or collective decision-making.

We now know some of the tips that could be helpful while you are conducting a meeting. Implementing these in a correct way would ensure a huge change in the working style of the employees. But now the important question arises. What to cover and discuss in the meeting? Often managers find themselves in dilemma about the things they want to share with the employees. There are many things that they want to share. There are many things that they want to cover. But they do not know what exactly. In this article we would also try to take a look at some important aspects and topics that could be covered or discussed in the meeting.

1. Statistics:

Statistics is a great way to show your performance in a brief manner. To make your employees more productive, asking them statistics is a great way to start with. In a meeting every team member should have their statistics which would show their productivity during the whole week or the whole month. One of the simplest ways to show this statistics is through graphs. Ask them to plot a graph. This would show their performance in a very brief manner and it will be very easy to understand their productivity. This would fill them with a sense of responsibility because the next time you conduct a meeting they would not want to sit in the meeting with a graph with a negative slope showing their degradation in their performance.

Also, try to ask them about the steps they would be taking to increase their productivity because by doing this he/ she is announcing in front of the entire team his plans. This would motivate to him/ her work and do well in their job.

2. Action steps and targets:

A manager has a certain set of objectives that are being handed down by the CEO or the owner of the management. It is up to the manger to set the targets for individual employees and discuss the action plans with them. Set the targets first. Be clear about the deadline and end result. After setting the targets it is very important to inform every employee about the targets. There are many departments in an organization. Different department plays different role. So first analyze which departments would help you in fulfilling these goals. Accordingly give them the work.

Also ask them about their approach to completing these goals. Ask them about their action plans and discuss with them. Try to make them think about ways that could finish this task in a much more effective manner. Try to make them

3. Problems and solutions:

Every team member has different opinions on different things. So naturally there will be a clash of agreements and opinions in a large team. So as a manager try to understand each employee’s problems and discuss the possible solutions.

Often we can see that when asked about their problems there comes a long list of problems. Sometimes there arise disagreements which can eventually lead to huge and ugly fighting. These are the situations that managers desperately try to avoid in company meetings. So to avoid such kind of happenings, the manager should ask them to discuss their problem with an accompanied solution. This would help others to give their inputs and make the execution of the solution smoothly. Here, a manager could also analyze how employees are reacting to a certain problem. This gives the manager a chance to analyze the critical thinking and decision making skills of employees. By doing so the manager understands the working style and thinking of the employees. So in times of need he/she would approach that particular.

4. General announcements:

General announcements could include birthdays or announcing holidays. These announcements could also include holiday trips or a business trip. This could lighten the mood of the meeting.

5. Fun games:

To lighten up the mood and set everyone’s spirits high, a manager can also include fun activities in the meeting. This would help the team members to build good relationships with each other. It is very important for a company to have a strong workforce team because at the end of the day it is the team who make the company a successful one.

6. Wins of the week or the month:

Appreciate the team members for their works. Ask them to bring their wins of the week or the month. This could in the form of a testimonial from a client or a customer or hitting their target in a short span. This could help in ending the meeting with a positive and high note. By doing this employees would feel enthusiastic and have zeal to work with renewed spirits.

So this was all about some tips and tricks to make your meeting effective and innovative. Stay tuned for more such articles.