23 Aug 5 WAYS TO RE-ENERGIZE YOUR MEETING ROOM
Cultivating creativity and generating innovative new ideas often starts with a meeting. But when you walk into the same room over and over, participation and engagement can be hard to inspire. So, before scheduling your next meeting, think about these five (bored)room meeting alternatives that will reenergize the room and get attendees excited to tackle your agenda.
1. Get out of the office
A change of environment can be just what is needed to hit the reset button, but don’t just trade one stuffy meeting room for another. Instead, head to a coffee shop or take your meeting to an outdoor patio (weather permitting). A change in scenery is a great way to break up the day, unwind, and feel more relaxed; all of which are essential ingredients to inspiring creative thinking.
2. A breath of fresh air
Scenery that is constantly changing excites our senses, which can help foster new ideas and creative thoughts. For your next meeting, organize a walk around the block or (if the weather is bad) around the office. This is ideal for a small group of 1-3 as this meeting style encourages exercise and provides fresh air, which boosts energy! By walking side by side, you’re also removing any corporate hierarchies. According to Gethappy, this allows you to engage with your co-workers on a more intimate level and build stronger professional relationships. For more information on “walking meetings”, check out this 3 minute TED TALK by Nilofer Merchant “Got a Meeting, Take a Walk.”
3. Stretch it out
We all get restless sitting in one spot for too long and that discomfort can cause us to lose focus. So, if the next meeting you host has to be in a meeting room and it’s going to be longer than 30 minutes, have everyone take a quick 2-minute stretching break. Encourage everyone to get out of their seat and walk them through a stretching session to get them re-energized and back on track. Check out this video from UWMedicineHealth for guidance on stretches that are workplace friendly.
4. Inspire!
Nothing gets a sports team more amped up for a win than a pre-game pep talk, and it works for corporate teams too! Try starting your next meeting with some inspiring and motivating words. Keep your pep talk under 3 minutes, just enough time to get everyone feeling empowered and ready to tackle the subject at hand. This could simply be sharing an interesting real-life success story, examples of creativity in your industry, or playing a TED TALK or other relevant video content. Just be sure to keep the content related to your meeting’s agenda.
5. Have a little fun!
For many marketers, more than half of your daily schedule consists of meetings. You start walking to the next one on autopilot and don’t even recall how you got there! Remember, your next meeting could be someone else’s fifth! So how are you going to stand out and regain everyone’s attention and interest? Try starting with some fun and laughs. A good laugh goes a long way in changing our moods and the dynamic of the room. When the room feels lighter, sharing ideas can also feel less intimidating. So get creative with funny memes or video content, like this totally relatable viral video from comedians Tripp and Tyler a few years back “A Conference Call in Real Life.”
Maybe you’ve tried one of these or another meeting style that was a smashing success? We want to hear more! Join the conversation on our social pages (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Linkedin).
About the Author
Sarah Burn, BComm is a Marketing and Communications Professional who recently moved to Calgary from London, Ontario where she worked for 3M Canada in Consumer Goods and for several B2B brands. Sarah’s passion and eagerness to learn from all facets of marketing have all allowed her to take on a variety of roles from product marketing/management, communications and digital marketing. Sarah loves hiking in the mountains, her dog Arnie and discovering new plant-based recipes. Connect with her at Linkedin.com/SarahBurn.