Zzzz… Wha, huh? Most meetings are kind of a drag—but who says that corporate gatherings have to be stale and boring?
As a futurist keynote speaker and consultant for over 2,500 brands, I’m often asked to help design more-engaging and impactful conferences, conventions and symposiums. And as it turns out, a few simple tweaks can help you infuse more energy and enthusiasm into your programs, helping teams stay motivated, focused and productive while fostering a positive atmosphere.
As I explain in new book Steinberg’s Guide to Creating Competitive Advantage, making the shift isn’t difficult. And while you may plan meetings for thousands, we all know the smaller ones we all participate in day in and day out carry challenges all their own.
Here are 10 ways to build more engaging and impactful meetings that better engage audiences on every front.
[Related: 10 Ways to Hyper-Personalize and Customize Events]
1. Plan Ahead and Engage Your Audience
Define a gathering’s purpose before scheduling a meeting: Is it to brainstorm ideas, make a decision, share updates or solve a problem? A focused agenda keeps participants engaged and minimizes wasted time. Provide an overview at least 24 hours beforehand that features goals, time allotments and topics to be covered.
2. Start on a Positive Note
Begin the gathering with something uplifting. Share a recent team win, a personal success story or a motivational quote. A positive opening sets the tone and boosts morale from the start. Make sure to solicit comments and input from every participant if time allows.
3. Keep It Short and Sweet
Modern attention spans are limited: Aim for 30–45 minutes per session unless the topic demands more time and extensive discussion. Shorter meetings with focused agendas are more likely to keep energy levels high. For productivity’s sake, all should end with a clearly defined outcome, e.g., making a specific decision or pursuing a certain avenue of inquiry.
[Related: 10 Ways to Maximize Your Event’s ROI]
4. Use Engaging Visuals and Graphics
Incorporate pictorial elements like infographics, slides or live whiteboards to break up long stretches of talking. Visuals like office cartoons, animated explainers and eye-catching flowcharts can help communicate complex ideas quickly and maintain interest.
5. Rotate Responsibilities and Jobs
Assign each meeting participant a selection of rotating roles like facilitator, note-taker or timekeeper. Doing so helps keep everyone actively involved and encourages ownership and accountability.
6. Incorporate Movement into Meetings
To keep energy levels high, try a standing meeting, walking discussion or mid-meeting stretch. Movement energizes the body and stimulates creative thinking.
7. Use Icebreakers and Warmups
For longer or virtual meetings, use quick icebreakers to loosen up the group and get folks talking. Even a one-minute question like, “What’s your favorite productivity hack?” or, “What’s a great business book or article you’ve recently read?” can help you spark energy and connection.
[Related: Read More Scott Steinberg Tips Content]
8. Promote Active Participation
Ask open-ended questions and invite feedback from all attendees. Use polls, chats or breakout rooms to increase interaction and avoid one-way conversations. Incorporate hands-on exercises that encourage attendees to get more interactive.
9. Mix Up the Event Format
To avoid falling into a predictable routine, alternate your sessions between presentations, group discussions, brainstorming sessions and roundtables. You might also invite surprise guests such as partners, suppliers, vendors and outside speakers to pop in and share insights. Variety keeps people alert and engaged.
10. Focus on Solutions
Meetings can easily devolve into unproductive or roundabout discussions… or worse—complaint sessions. Encourage a solutions-focused mindset by framing challenges as opportunities and asking, “What can we do about it?” Make it clear that before leaving, you plan to finish with an action plan that describes next steps that everyone can take to follow up on the discussion.
