A new approach to meetings

Is your business stuck in a meeting rut? Taking a new approach to meetings could help kickstart new ideas and inspire employees. From leaving the boardroom for the park to meetings on the move, read on to discover new ways to motivate and inspire creativity.

Walking meetings

According to the British Psychological Society, the average office worker spends 5.41 hours per day at their desk¹. Yet research has found a link between walking and creative thinking² and that people who participate in walking meetings are more likely to report higher levels of engagement and focus². Employees may take some persuasion to embrace the idea of walking meetings but with preparation, they could become part of your business’ fabric.

Tips for walking meetings:

• Keep the groups small, no more than six¹.
• Designate one employee to take notes.
• Warn employees at least 24 hours before so they can dress suitably.

Timing is everything

If that weekly Thursday 4pm meeting is getting stale, think about moving it. Research by Microsoft revealed that people are at their most alert at 10.01am on Mondays, while other studies have also found that employees are at their sharpest in the mornings³. Breakfast meetings have become more popular over the last few years for this reason.

Take meetings outside

Moving meetings beyond the boardroom could help people feel more relaxed and in turn more focused and creative. Simply being in pleasant surroundings like the local park will help people feel better, which can make them less inhibited when discussing ideas⁴.

Rethink the brainstorm

Brainstorming can stifle creativity, especially for your introverted employees who often think better on their own⁵. There can also be a tendency to ‘group think’ in brainstorming meetings – that is, latching on to a bad idea simply because it’s been suggested⁶. To get the best out of brainstorms, send out an agenda beforehand and build the meeting on advance work. You could also employ some diversions such as meeting musical chairs, where anyone, at any time, can call out “rotate” and everyone in the room has to move to the chair to their left⁷.

Meetings are an important part of business life, but they don’t always have to follow the same format. Include your employees in developing new ways to approach meetings and you may find that they inspire creative thinking and employee engagement, instead of stifling innovation.

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