Creative meeting ideas to engage your team

By Carrie Kramer

It’s estimated the average person spends about five years in meetings. That’s more time than we allocate to eating (4.5 years), scrolling through social media (3 years) or socializing (1 year). It goes without saying meetings are meant to be productive, but they can be enjoyable too. These creative ideas can help keep your team engaged, on-task and even anticipating your next meeting.

Rotate leaders

Let everyone take a turn leading a team meeting. This helps provide a unique perspective while also showing each team member that their contributions are valued. Create a rotating schedule that varies meeting leaders by department, tenure and position. Provide a basic agenda the leader can customize, perhaps by inserting their own icebreaker and choosing their preferred presentation mode.

Switch up locations

Are staff meetings always held in conference room B? Or do people sit in the same location when meeting virtually? Switching up meeting spots can do wonders to boost energy and engagement. Hold a meeting outdoors if weather permits. Take a stroll to a nearby coffee shop. Or hold a walking meeting—in person or online. Up the fun factor and give everyone a cohesive look with branded sunglasses.

If you’re meeting online, shake things up by changing locations. Or take advantage of preset backgrounds. Many online meeting tools have immersive views that enable participants to sit “together” in the same virtual environment. A pair of quality ear buds with noise-cancelling technology can help employees stay engaged and focused.

Incorporate movement

Movement doesn’t have to be limited to walking meetings. Make a point to incorporate physical activity before every meeting (and throughout longer meetings). Simple stretches or bursts of movement, like running in place or dancing, can boost energy levels and lead to increased productivity and alertness. Need more ideas to promote physical activity? Keep meeting rooms stocked with a basketball hoop game and compact exercise bands to inspire movement.

Gamify glitches

Who hasn’t experienced online meeting challenges? From technical issues to background distractions, meeting glitches are so common they’ve become a source of entertainment in memes, YouTube® videos and Saturday Night Live® skits. Why not have a little fun with them too? Capture screen shots of meeting attendees who are frozen and create your own “Awkward Team Photo” album in a wireless charger photo frame. Or play the “freeze” game where people pretend to glitch. Most convincing wins a webcam cover.

Celebrate wins

Celebrating small successes can motivate employees to achieve larger goals. Dedicate a few minutes of each meeting to celebrate your team’s accomplishments. Spotlight exceptional employees, applaud new contracts or share a meaningful customer interaction to inspire future successes. When there’s a large win, reward the contributing team members with something tangible, like a desk clock or plaque.

Designate meeting-free days

Too much time in meetings can have an adverse effect on productivity and well-being. Organizations like Facebook®, Shopify® and Canva® are reaping the benefits of designating meeting-free days. Reported gains include increased productivity and focus, as well as improved employee satisfaction and engagement. On days where meetings do occur, they are deemed more purposeful and value-added.

Creative meeting ideas for the win

Keep employees engaged and energized by implementing one or all these ideas at your next team gathering. Switch up locations or leaders, get attendees moving, make meetings fun with gamification, and celebrate the small stuff. The benefits can equate to big wins.

Carrie Kramer

Carrie Kramer is a merchandising category manager with more than 20 years of experience in the promotional products industry and has been part of 4imprint’s merchandising team for nearly two years. She brings extensive expertise in merchandising, product sourcing, and building strong vendor relationships. Working closely with product development partners—and always thinking creatively—Carrie continually seeks out the best promotional products to strengthen her category offerings. Her expertise and creative approach help ensure 4imprint remains at the forefront of wellness-related promotional trends.

All marks are the property of 4imprint or their respective owners.

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