Interactive Meeting Ideas to Use for Engaging Meetings

Companies hold regular corporate meetings to move the business forward. They encourage teamwork and help to find possible solutions for problems.

They are also useful for reviewing the daily, weekly, or monthly performance of staff. Through meetings, the company progresses by making decisions and planning new projects.

This makes the consideration of interactive meeting ideas crucial for business success.

However, some businesses conduct frequent conferences that slow down the team’s productiveness. In addition, some members find these meetings dull and annoying.

Used well, the virtual or in-person planning sessions can be greatly beneficial.

As the meeting organizer, the focus should not be on the topic or project proposal alone. Think of ways to make the discussions fruitful while involving everyone.

The following tips are interactive meeting ideas to keep everyone engaged and having fun.

Have a Smooth Start

Think about the best time to hold a meeting. Monday is often considered to be a good time to discuss business matters with the team.

But Monday is, in fact,  the most productive day of the week. Employees have rested from work and now have the energy for all the essential tasks.

According to a study, a good option is Tuesday at 2:30 in the afternoon. Mid-week and mid-afternoon are the best times for meetings.

However, it still depends on your preferences and business needs.

Before starting a meeting, it is best to engage with the meeting attendees. Having interaction and sharing positive news will start a meeting off well.

It’s possible to share something positive in 30 seconds. This may include items such as:

• Mentioning last meeting’s accomplishment.
• Talking about a meaningful and funny experience.
• Praising attendees for a job well-done in the past week.
• Sharing a work-related accomplishment with everyone.

Brainstorm with Your Team

It’s important to ensure that all in attendance feel included and a part of the group. Encourage creative thinking and help one another to have a smooth flow of ideas.

Try to do the following:

Brainstorm Session

Be specific on the project the team is to accomplish. Encourage everyone to participate by letting them share ideas on the topic provided.

Take it easy and keep the pace relaxed. Refrain from interrupting when one of the members gives an opinion.

6-3-5 Brainwriting Method

In this type of brainstorming, the aim is to be more specific. The discussion leader will mention a particular problem.

They then select six participants from the team, asking them to write down three ideas in 5 minutes. Afterward, they pass the paper with three suggestions to the next six participants.

The procedure will continue until they reach the best possible solution.

Talk about the Worst Ideas

Mostly, leaders or other team members disregard bad ideas. But in this method, everyone will entertain the worst ideas.

Have you ever had a mental block? That could happen if the team is only thinking about good suggestions.

By considering the worst ideas, you are becoming more creative. Who knows, these bad ideas may be the only solution for that long-time problem.

Include Small Talk

Life is too short to be too serious. When it comes to meetings, attendees may feel uncomfortable or intimidated by the project leader.

This results in a lack of productivity and less talk. If there’s less talk, it’s more challenging to get ideas from one another.

Use at least 10 minutes to ask about the team members’ well-being. Talk about events over the weekend or other topics that will encourage discussion.

Encourage Engagement

Teamwork is essential for a successful project. Being the project leader, it’s vital to build an engaged team.

This will more likely happen by using interactive meeting ideas and prepared activities. For example, set a round of charades, quick problem-solving, or a timed scavenger hunt.

In these activities, share topics related to the business proposals or the projects. In that way, the team is learning and having fun at the same time.

Another activity is having the attendees sketch the person next to them. As a result, everyone will feel comfortable with each other.

They will be more open, positive, and generous in sharing their thoughts and business proposals.

Create Separate Teams

Splitting the team into other sub-teams will encourage engagement. Keeping the attendees all in one group can lead to boredom after several minutes.

Groupings can help to outsource work and ideas. Create a subject, then split the team into various groups.

Encourage them to brainstorm and help each other out while trying to solve the problem. This also helps to lessen the time of your discussion.

Having different teams to find the possible solution, you can choose between these ideas and see which one works best.

Choose Attendees Wisely

You are in the meeting not to waste time but to solve a problem or discuss a business proposal. So it’s essential to invite team members that are willing and committed.

Another thing to consider is meeting management. It’s challenging to manage a meeting with a large group of people.

So, divide meeting attendees into several groups, with a maximum of 10 people in a room. This will also maximize the ideas and activities as a result.

Ask Questions

Asking questions is another way to engage the team. One idea is to write down questions for a specific team member.

Listen carefully, and thank those who are brave enough to share their thoughts. It is also prudent to inquire about their contribution to the project.

Some possible questions to ask include:

• What will you improve in this project, and why?
• What would you change in our business proposal? Why?
• What is your favorite part of this project?
• What is your least favorite of this project?
• Are you happy with the result?

Letting them answer these questions is another interactive meeting idea. Ask everyone to participate, and mention them by name when calling on them.

However, keep your tone as friendly as possible. This will prevent participants from feeling scared or intimidated.

Pick a Person That Will Set the Right Atmosphere

It would be best to have a member that is willing to win a project for the team. Pay keen attention to the attendees.

See which one of them speaks confidently. Then let that person talk first to set the right atmosphere.

When there’s one confident person it can encourage others to feel freer. Their positive example will bring a positive outcome to the whole team.

Choose a Good Meeting Location

Sometimes, location or meeting venue can impact on the team’s productivity. Experiencing a different ambiance or scenery will help team members feel engaged and can improve everyone’s mood.

You could choose a local coffee shop or a coworking space. That way, no-one will feel they are confined in a four-corner room.

The result may be surprising, especially the way it boosts the team’s creativity.

If you are on a remote team, take the opportunity to give team members a challenge. For example, suggest going to a place with a similar environment to Tim Horton.

Or ask if you can have the meetings at the new coffee shop in town.

Moving to different locations can make the team feel like you are just having fun. Apart from that, it provides an opportunity to get to know everyone.

Highlight the Key Meeting Information

There’s probably one thing you want to highlight in the meeting. That is the core of the discussion that will help to make the business proposal successful.

If that is the case, use the majority of the time to highlight the key information. When doing this, create several scenarios that leave an impression on the viewer or listener.

One suggestion is to present it in an emotional manner. Another way is to express the ideas through jokes or comedic acts.

In other words, present the information in a way that grabs attention.

Another term for this strategy is a “S.T.A.R. moment”, created by Nancy Duarte, Duarte Designs Founder and CEO. This stands for “Something They’ll Always Remember.”

Using this technique helps audiences to remember the focus of the meeting.

Putting These Interactive Meeting Ideas Into Action

Employing these interactive meeting ideas will help a business to progress and grow. With good planning and proper implementation, interactive business meetings will provide many benefits.

There will also be more productive team members who are willing to work together.

All of these ideas can give meeting attendees something to look forward to. Moreover, they will have fun while learning and helping the business to thrive.

Another thing to keep in mind is scheduling. Late meetings with late attendees cause distractions.

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