How to Spice Up Your Meetings

People hate meetings because the people who run them don’t know how to do so properly. Effective meetings aren’t intuitive, and bad meetings can lead to low morale and spirits. Low spirits lead to complaints, and complaints lead to overall office grumpiness. “If it weren’t for these meetings we have to go to, I’d get work done a lot faster,” says the common disgruntled employee.

But never fear. There is a way to lead a meeting so that it’s interesting and captures the attention of your employees. Start changing your company’s culture today with these tips.

Pack Some Energy into It

How are people interacting during your meeting? Are they secretly playing on their phones underneath their desks? Are they checking their e-mail or scribbling on their papers? These are all signs of unengaged employees. Chances are you aren’t feeling too engaged, either, and are just getting through yet another meeting. Instead, come in with some energy. Don’t just walk through your presentation and your numbers; set a fast pace and make a joke here and there.

Focusing on the Now

Energy is excellent, you need it in your meetings. When channeled incorrectly, however, it can destroy your meeting instead. Have you figured out exactly what you want to discuss for this meeting? Is your agenda in order? Focus on one great idea and a specific goal. This will help employees see the point of the meeting in the first place, and you’ll start to see more engagement and note-taking.

Keep Everyone Accountable

Energy and focus or not, if your employees don’t know what you expect out of them in meetings, then you probably won’t get the reaction from then that you want. When they come into a meeting, talk to them about proper behavior. Then talk to them about how you expect them to leave the meeting hall. Though talking about specific subjects and new ideas are excellent things to do, you also want people to walk away with something they can use today. Clarify what you’re talking about, tell your employees what they need to do today, and dismiss them on a upbeat note.