If you work on a team, meetings are unavoidable. Some can be great, and some.. not so great. Let’s talk about how you can reframe how you plan and facilitate your next meeting to make it productive and (dare we say) somewhat enjoyable.

If you weren’t scared off at the mention of “meetings”, stay with us.. 

We’re well-aware everyone’s had their fair share of nightmare meetings. You know, the one’s that could have been handled in an email. Or the one’s that seem to drag on and on when you still have a mountain of work to finish by the end of the day. So, how can we make this experience less nightmarish and more productive? Well, if you are the facilitator of the meeting, try to reframe this time as if it were a gathering.

Here’s an example

Let’s say your coworkers invite you to a Thursday night gathering hosted by a live music venue featuring upcoming local artists. For some of us introverts (myself included), this may already not sound so great after a long workday. In any circumstance, let’s imagine you couldn’t wait (or bucked up the social energy) to attend this event. It’s PACKED. You arrive, make a beeline straight to the snacks/beverages, then hangout and make the most of the evening. Everything is affordable, laid back, and surprisingly more enjoyable than expected. Plus, the bands playing were awesome performers. After spending a couple hours of being (or attempting to be) a social butterfly, it’s time to head home. You realize at the end of the night, it wasn’t so bad. The venue did a great job hosting the event and you actually had a good time. Plus, you discovered some awesome new local bands to check out in the future. Mission accomplished!

So, how does this relate back to meetings?

Well, when you think of meetings as if they were a gathering, you realize they require similar things to be successful. One, you need to know what you want to get out of the experience. For example, the music venue event knew its audience, what it wanted to accomplish (feature new local artists), and provide the right environment for the gig. The same rules can be applied to meetings (maybe not as much live music included). This week, Terri will share more insight on how to plan, frame, and execute the ideal productive meeting. Tune in to our latest episode of Collabo Clips to learn more! 

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Also, leave us a comment if you found this clip helpful or if you have tips of your own that you’d like to share. We’re always on the look out for fresh ideas from all you geniuses out there!

Thanks for watching. And remember, the only way to design a better world is together.

So, let’s design better together.

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