Employee engagement is one of the top subjects in human resources today. As we get into 2019, many companies are looking at happiness as a way to define success in their company. And one easy way to make everyone happier at work this year is by re-imagining the meeting. Whether you have meetings daily or weekly, there are definitely improvements you can make to how they’re structured and whether or not they’re effective. With just this one thing, you can improve employee satisfaction across the board.
Short and Sweet
Remember that four-and-a-half-hour meeting with mandatory attendance for everyone in the company? Even if you thought you needed that much time, you really didn’t. Each department only participated for a very small amount of time and spent the rest of it annoyed they couldn’t get back to work. Instead, always make meetings short and sweet to address only a single issue at a time.
Smaller Groups
To this end, you should also make meetings smaller. Your accounting department does not need to be involved in a meeting for your sales team. Invite only the people for whom the subject is important and allow everyone else to remain productive during this time.
No Bells or Whistles
Many managers believe that by adding PowerPoint presentations or interactive media they’re improving the meeting for a modern audience. Instead, what’s happening is an over-complication of what should be a simple communication tool. Don’t do too much in a meeting. Keep it on task, discuss the issues, and get back to work.
Recognizing Introverts
Our culture has long had a problem with how to read the body language of introverted employees. If you have team members who are quiet, that doesn’t mean they don’t have anything to say. Give them space and a comfort level to speak what they’re thinking. And know that if one of your quieter team members is taking time to speak, that means they’ve thought about it a lot before offering their concerns or suggestions.
Do you want to make your team happier this year by streamlining your meeting process? Contact the team at Harvard Resource Solutions, a top Michigan staffing agency, for a free workforce consultation.
