Creating an Enjoyable Meeting Experience for Your Team: Tips and Tricks

As a team leader, it is your responsibility to conduct meetings that are not only productive but also engaging and enjoyable for everyone involved. A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that team-building activities, which often include fun and engaging meetings, had a positive impact on job satisfaction and increased employee motivation and commitment to their organization. Meetings are essential for communication, collaboration, and decision-making, but they can also become monotonous and demotivating if not executed properly.

From icebreakers to meeting formats, we will provide you with practical advice and actionable steps to help you plan and execute meetings that are both productive and enjoyable.

Icebreakers: How to Start Your Meetings on a Fun Note

Icebreakers are a great way to start meetings on a positive note, encourage interaction among team members, and set the tone for a productive session. They help to break down barriers and create a relaxed atmosphere, making it easier for everyone to share their thoughts and ideas.

Some great examples of icebreakers are:

Share a Smile: Ask each team member to share something that makes them smile or laugh. This can be a funny story, a joke, a video, or anything else that brings them joy.

Name that Tune: Play a short clip of a popular song and challenge the team to guess the name of the song and the artist. This can be a fun way to get everyone energized and engaged.

Finish the Sentence: Ask each team member to complete a sentence such as "If I could have any superpower, I would choose..." or "My favorite thing to do on the weekend is...". This can be a fun way to get to know each other better and find common interests.

Two Truths and a Lie: Ask each team member to share three statements about themselves, two of which are true and one of which is a lie. The other team members then have to guess which statement is the lie. This is a fun one but could take a long time depending on the size of your team - consider letting one person go every meeting and rotating who goes.

Highs and Lows: Ask each team member to share the high point and low point of their week or month. This can be a great way to build empathy and understanding among team members.

Not all icebreakers will resonate with every team, so it's important to take the time to understand your team's preferences and culture before selecting an icebreaker activity. For example, it's important to consider team dynamics when selecting icebreakers. If your team is composed of individuals who have worked together for a long time, you may want to opt for more challenging or thought-provoking icebreakers. Alternatively, if your team is composed of individuals who are new to each other, you may want to focus on icebreakers that help build familiarity and trust.

Time Management Tips for Efficient Meetings

Setting meeting goals and agendas is a critical component of staying focused and productive during team meetings. Before each meeting, take the time to clearly define the goals and objectives for the meeting, and develop a detailed agenda that outlines the topics and discussion points that will be covered. This will help to keep the meeting on track and ensure that everyone is aligned on the meeting objectives.

Managing time during meetings is crucial to ensuring that you stay on track and accomplish your meeting goals. One effective strategy is to set a specific time limit for each agenda item and to assign a timekeeper to ensure that each item stays within its allotted time. This helps to avoid getting bogged down in discussions or debates that take up too much time, and ensures that all agenda items are covered before the meeting ends. Another strategy is to limit distractions during the meeting, such as by asking team members to silence their phones or laptops and avoid side conversations. This helps to keep the meeting focused and on track and allows everyone to stay engaged in the discussion. Finally, consider using time-saving tools such as templates, pre-filled forms, or checklists to expedite discussions that may require complex preparation or coordination.

Here are 3 easy ways to ensure you finish your meetings on time:

Schedule breaks: If your meeting is longer than an hour, schedule breaks at regular intervals to allow team members to refresh themselves and stay engaged.

Use time-saving tools: Tools such as templates, pre-filled forms or checklists can help to expedite discussions that may require complex preparation or coordination, saving valuable time.

Ask for feedback: Ask team members for feedback on the meeting format, structure, and content. This can help to identify areas for improvement and ensure that future meetings are even more productive. You can do this as often as needed - once a week, once a month, or even once a year (although we don’t recommend leaving it that long).

Meeting Formats: How to Mix Things Up and Keep Meetings Engaging

Meetings are an essential part of effective team communication and collaboration, but they can quickly become routine and mundane. To keep your team engaged and productive, it's important to mix up your meeting formats and introduce new elements to keep things fresh and interesting. Let’s look at some different meeting formats and when you can use them.

Standard Meeting Format: This is a traditional format where the meeting follows a set agenda, and the attendees share updates, discuss issues, and make decisions based on the agenda items. This format is great for regular updates, decision-making, and planning meetings.

Brainstorming Session Format: In this format, the attendees are encouraged to share ideas and thoughts on a particular topic. The aim is to generate as many ideas as possible, with no criticism or evaluation at this stage. This format works well if the goal of the meeting is to problem-solve or stimulate creativity within your team.

Workshop Format: This format is more hands-on and interactive, where attendees participate in group activities and exercises, usually led by a facilitator or someone well-versed in the workshop topic. This format is useful when you need to develop new skills, solve complex problems, or implement new ideas. It can be used to engage team members, promote learning, and drive change.

Roundtable/Circle Format: In this format, attendees can be seated around a table, and the discussion is usually led by a moderator who invites each participant to share their views and insights on a particular topic. This format is great at encouraging open discussion and it can be used to promote collaboration, foster a sense of community, and build consensus.

Keep Your Meetings Fresh & Fun

When team members start to feel like meetings are a waste of time or unproductive, it can negatively impact their motivation and engagement. Therefore, it's important for team leaders to incorporate strategies that keep meetings fresh, engaging, and productive.

Here are 3 different approaches to incorporating variety into your meetings:

Change the venue: Hold meetings in different locations, such as conference rooms, coffee shops, or outdoor spaces. If you’re a remote team, this is even easier to do. If people aren’t able to move locations, they can pick a background with different locations to mix things up.

Rotate facilitators: Have different team members take turns leading the meeting and taking notes, which can bring fresh perspectives and ideas.

Mix up the meeting agenda: Switch up the order in which different topics are discussed. It can be by rotation or random, in advance or in the moment. One fun strategy for in-the-moment switching is assigning each category a number and using a random number generator or pulling a number out of a hat.

In conclusion, team leaders have a crucial role in creating an enjoyable meeting experience for their team members. By incorporating the tips and tricks outlined in this blog, team leaders can make their meetings more engaging, productive, and enjoyable for everyone involved. From incorporating fun icebreakers and team-building activities to varying the meeting formats and agenda, team leaders can keep their team members motivated and inspired. Remember that a well-planned and engaging meeting can have a positive impact on team morale, productivity, and collaboration, so it's worth investing time and effort in creating an enjoyable meeting experience for your team.