Try These Simple Hacks To Supercharge Your Meetings

Ineffective meetings cost you and your company money. Lots of it.

One report even claims that unproductive meetings cost US companies $399 Billion back in 2019. Staggering, but not surprising.

When meetings don’t produce the outcome it was supposed to because of low engagement and interaction, many people quickly blame the participants for their lack of participation in the discussion. But, are the participants always to blame?

The truth is, most meeting participants adjust their level of interaction depending on the tone of meeting. They do this observing the energy and interaction from other participants, and react accordingly.

Here are four simple ways you can supercharge your meetings to encourage great discussions between the participants and produce valuable outcomes from the meetings.

Four effective ways to improve your meetings

1. Get a facilitator

One of the most effective ways to supercharge your meetings is to designate a facilitator for the meeting. A facilitator is the person who drives the meeting discussion and guides the participants on having open and productive discussions.

A good facilitator knows good meeting outcomes can only come from focused conversation between the participants. As such, they guide the discussions, manage the group dynamics, and keeps the meeting on track. They help create an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns to achieve the meeting purpose.

2. Set the tone

As a meeting facilitator, you have the power to set the tone of meeting to drive engaging and productive discussion. If you want your participants to be engaged and energised, you need to build that energy by bringing enthusiastic and positive energy to the group through your interactions with them.

Think about the kind of body language and tone of voice you bring to the room. If you seem disinterested or unenthusiastic, most likely your participants will pick up on this and adjust their level to match yours. By setting a positive and energetic tone, you can help to create a sense of excitement and enthusiasm that can help keep the meeting engaging.

3. Contain the energy

When it comes to meeting dynamics, remember that energy levels can vary from person to person. Some people may be naturally more outgoing and extroverted, while others may be more introverted or reserved. As a facilitator, it's important to take note of these differences and create an environment where everyone feels comfortable joining to the discussion.

One effective way to contain the energy is to switch up the activities so that there's a variable pace of interaction. For example, you might start with a large group discussion, then break out into smaller group discussions so people have a chance to have both general and deeper discussion on the meeting topic.

My personal favourite way to crank up meeting engagement is to have interactive quizzes, or prepare engaging visual materials. This can help to build excitement and prevent people from zoning out and disengage from the meeting.

4. End it on a high note

The way you end your meeting is just as important as the way you start it. The intent is to have the participants leaving the meeting feeling like they’ve accomplished, earned, or learned somehing useful.

Make sure to summarise the key points covered in the meeting and highlight the actions that came out of it. Clearly point out what the next steps are and what everyone’s role will be. By sharing a clear plan for moving forward, you can help create a sense of ownership of the actions and ensure everyone keeps moving closer towards their goals.

Also remember to highlight what was achieved. Take the time to thank everyone for their contributions and give appreciations where appreciation is due. This can help to create a positive and supportive environment that encourages people to continually share their ideas and opinions the next time around.

Bottomline

Ineffective meetings drains your time and energy. By following these tips, you can turn your meetings into productive, engaging, and enjoyable experiences. The key is to consistently make small tweaks to how you run your meetings to improve the way you and your team interacts so you can make the most of your time together.

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