Have you fallen into these TRAPS before?
We've all been there...sitting in a meeting or workshop thinking when will this end! The will to live is gone, and all you can do is resist the urge to RUN. Sound familiar?
In these situations the thought that crosses my mind is 'Make sure I don’t do this to other people’. It doesn't matter how dry the topic is, every meeting or workshop can be productive and positive, and should be. Energising and interesting meetings and workshops dramatically increase the value to the organisation and individuals.
So where do people go wrong, and why does it happen more often than it should.
Have you fallen into any of these common traps?
1. Poor planning - NO SURPRISES here!The secret to great meetings and workshops is thorough planning. Even regular meetings should have a good underlying plan, with a clear purpose and structure. Structure doesn’t have to translate to boring.
2. Ineffective engagement– often there is minimal effort invested in creating effective engagement. Many people assume that everyone will participate and voice their opinion. But how often does that actually happen? The best method will depend on the specific group, size of group, required outcomes, time frame, space available, etc.
3. Death by Powerpoint - Who hasn’t experienced this before! Reading off a slide creates little value, and having 20 slides just puts people to sleep. Slides can be a powerful visual aid, BUT they must be used carefully.
4. The Tangent Trap- Is NOW the best time to solve this problem? Going off on a tangent to solve a problem that has been raised is an easy trap to fall into. Usually it derails the meeting and ensures half of the attendees switch off as the issue doesn’t relate to them. A great facilitator or leader will ensure the issue is parked and dealt with in a separate session.
5. Why are we meeting?- a lack of clear objectives and outcomes is a common trap for many meetings (even the regular ones). Without clarity it is difficult for everyone to stay on task and even more difficult to gain maximum value for the time invested.
6. Change is as good as a holiday- sticking with the standard format week in and week out can turn people off even before they get to the meeting. There are so many interesting ways to work with groups, change it up every so often.
7. Are there 6 people in this meeting or 3?– Why is it that the same 2 or 3 people have all the air-time? Frustration levels can certainly rise when the same voices are heard at every meeting. There are many reasons why this happens, and some simple techniques to get everyone talking (and stop others!).
8. Content overload - my brain is about to EXPLODE. Have you experienced this before? You head along to a workshop and get bombarded with so much content that your brain is stuck in overload after the first hour. Less really is more on many occasions.
To combat these common traps try these FIVE tips to increase energy, effectiveness and engagement during your next meeting or workshop:
1. Clarity– be clear about the purpose and outcomes of your meeting/workshop. Make sure everyone is aware of these and when things start to go astray, park any issues and bring everyone back on track.
2. Creative Content– look for interesting ways to share key content. Youtube, flipcharts, guest presenters. If you are using slides then follow these two simple rules: two minutes speaking per slide and high level bullet points only in a large font.
3. Plenty of Planning- thorough planning is key, focus on getting the basics right. Create an agenda, ask for input, include a check-in, think about timing, use different engagement techniques, ensure actions are captured and next steps are clear. For longer workshops detailed planning and timings are essential to enable maximum flexibility.
4. The Perfect Balance- create the right balance between content, discussion, and activities. As a general rule reduce the amount of content and increase the engagement and discussion opportunities. Follow this simple process for each new piece of content:
a. Introduce concept
b. Simple individual activity
c. Group discussion.
5. Change it up– incorporate new ways to do old things. This is applicable to both meetings and workshops. Find different ways of tackling standard agenda items. Get your team involved to find new ideas, change the venue, try a standing meeting, get outside if you can, involve guest speakers, let your team take turns in running the session, etc.