6 Ways to Create More Engaging and Fun Meetings

One of the most common complaints that I receive from my audiences when I am delivering a keynote speech on employee engagement or organizational leadership is “how can I make my meetings more fun and engaging?” Most meetings are ineffective they last forever, with a lot of words being spoken but no decisions being made, and no action steps taken. Meetings like that are pretty obviously a waste of time—and that’s equally frustrating for leaders and employees, all of whom have things they’d rather be doing.

But there’s another problem with meetings that are unengaging and boring: If all your meetings are unengaging, you’ll basically condition your team to arrive at each new meeting already expecting it to be a dreadful bore. You’ll have lost them before the meeting even begins.

So, what can you do? Is it possible to make your meetings fun and engaging? Absolutely it is. You’ve just got to be intentional in making each meeting engaging.

How to Make Your Meetings More Engaging

A few basic ways to do that include:

Have a “hook” at the beginning of each meeting. Tell a funny story, show an entertaining YouTube clip, or simply take a show-of-hands poll—anything to get people engaged right from the start.

Start your meetings with a clear definition of the meeting objectives—what you hope to accomplish and what all participants can expect to learn.

Allow emotions into your meeting. Ask people how they’ve been feeling about work since your last meeting. Take a temperature check of office morale.

Have a strong visual component to your meeting. In particular, have a way to showcase the brainstorming that’s happening and the thought that’s at work. A marker board, pin-up board, or even a sticker voting system can be useful here.

Build positivity into your meeting. Share success stories that have happened since the last meeting. Consider implementing a rule that the team must say three positive things about an idea before anyone is allowed to criticize or to shoot it down. Also creating a game or competition is a great way to motivate and engage your team.

Make your meeting more active. Ditch the chairs from your meeting space, and instead encourage your meeting participants to stand together in a huddle—a great way to engage their bodies and, hopefully, their minds!

Engaging meetings don’t just happen: They’re planned and executed with intention. You too can make your meetings more engaging and fun by implementing these 6 tips!

Dr. Rick Goodman CSP is a thought leader in the world of transformational leadership and employee engagement and is known as one of the most sought-after team building experts in the United States and internationally.

He is famous for helping organizations, corporations, and individuals with systems and strategies that produce increased profits and productivity without having the challenges of micromanaging the process. Some of Dr. Rick’s clients include AT&T, Caterpillar, J&J Snack Foods Corp, Heineken, IBM, and Hewlett Packard.

For more information on Rick’s speaking programs, audio programs, and learning programs, contact (888) 267-6098 or [email protected], or visit www.rickgoodman.com.