Mandatory meetings are something that every company has. It is impossible to collaborate work and keep everyone up to speed without some form of team-wide meet up communication platform, and they are incredibly useful arenas to deliver whole company training objectives. Yet, keeping employees engaged is never an easy feat. Read on for some engagement strategies that are bound to keep people on the right track.
Make it Stand Out Professionally
Any informative session that is delivered to any number of people has to look and sound professional. It doesn’t matter whether the group is five people or two hundred employees sat waiting. By using things like a pro graph maker and ensuring all the branding is observed consistently, the presentation will be inspiring and engaging. Something that doesn’t look the part will never be able to capture hearts and minds.
Mix Up the Format
Meetings are necessary, but often the content is not the most inspiring. Mixing up the format means ensuring that the key messages are communicated but throwing in some curveballs to make it more memorable. Think about utilizing the power of multi-media content to inspire a higher level of engagement, and try to include positive sidebars such as highlighting big achievements or pinpointing certain areas of success. Provide clear breaks in between notices, and do not forget to provide catering or refreshments, as this will be a natural way to encourage people to stick around and take part. Try to include times when groups can break off and discuss the narrative too.
Let Employees Take the Lead
Employees are the heart and soul of any company. Without them, no task would be finished and objectives would be hard to meet in every department. By empowering employees to play a part in the wider meeting agenda, the outcomes will be that much more positive. There is a noticeable difference between an organization that gives its staff a say and listens to their input as opposed to one that keeps them on the sidelines and does not hold their voice in high esteem.
Change the Scenery
Sometimes, having an away day is a great way to inspire people to get on board and feel more motivated. Take a look at the budget, and research a place to host a conference with a fresh backdrop. These ventures are only successful if every detail is planned out so take care of every detail from transport options to catering and deliver your messages somewhere fresh.
Keep it Short
Sometimes, long meetings are unavoidable. However, there are ways to break things up into manageable pieces so that attention spans can be nurtured and employees have less to digest in any given setting. Creating iterations instead of eight hour training programs means there is a wider scope for improved information retention, and that people feel as though their time is valued as well.
A meeting only has a purpose when employees are actively taking part and engaged. To make this happen, there have to be specifically targeted strategies that support listening, learning, and mindfulness.