It’s not even 10:00 AM Monday morning, and it is time to rush into one of those weekly status report meetings. This is a routine that began sometime in your past birth. It is clear that no one has anything to report. A few people will trumpet their trivial tasks, and someone will take over the meeting. Egos will be bruised, and discussions will continue until the end or until your bladder bursts. You are now closer to ulcers and indigestion with those coffees, teas, and biscuits.
Millions of people waste their time every day on pointless meetings that have no purpose. Meetings are a normal and necessary part of corporate life. They rank second to performance appraisals for toxicity. Many employees and managers go to work every day just to attend meetings. They don’t get to do any real work. Many departments have daily status reports meetings.
Many organizations have reached a point where the meeting has become synonymous with bland and draining work. Meetings and conference calls are essential for running the organization, but they often hinder things from actually happening. In some cases, even the most mundane tasks are impossible to accomplish without calling a meeting, then another meeting, and many more. Meeting organizers face another challenge: keeping everyone awake. You might be asking yourself, “Why do all team meetings revolve around status reports? Metrics, metrics, jargon-filled presentations, performance appraisals, and process improvements?”
You may argue that this is the essence of business. Meetings are essential, regardless of whether you like them or not. Appointments are necessary for the operation of a business. What can you do as a manager to make team meetings more fun, knowledge-oriented, and almost a joy for everyone?
What’s the secret to making meetings more fun and achieving better results? It’s pretty simple. You can have more meetings but of a different type. Aside from the regular departmental meetings, it is essential to have at least 20%-30% of your team meet that are not related to your business or customer issues.
You may argue that the customer or your management do not pay you to attend such meetings, as they do not have anything to do with the company. Who will have the time or money to do all this stuff? The special arrangements I will recommend can be a delicious food supplement that can help you reach a new level of people management and business improvement. They go beyond what is offered as management best practices for organizations all over the world. They can also help you reach a higher level of self-awareness that will benefit you both inside and outside of the workplace.
Take a look at these topics.
1. Inspirational quotes meeting:
Come together to discuss hundreds of inspiring quotes from leaders all over the globe. These quotes are full of wisdom and wise advice that has stood the test of time. Many sections are full of excellent management wisdom. Many people have experienced a profound change in their lives by quoting one inspirational quote. A quote such as “It is a terrible idea to look over your shoulders when you are trying to lead and find no one there” or “There will come a time where loud-mouthed incompetent people seem to be getting the better of you.” You can be patient and just wait for them to stop trying to control you. It never fails-Richard Rybolt” can spark a conversation about self-awareness and help you to be more aware of your own capabilities.
2. Stress Management Meeting:
Come together to brainstorm practical and useful stress management methods that can be used within and outside of the workplace. A simple technique such as a proper breathing exercise can help reduce stress in the workplace.
3. Meeting on Life of a Great Leader:
Study the lives of great non-business leaders around the world and freedom fighters such as Gandhi, Mother Teresa, or Rosa Parks. You can learn a lot from the lives of non-business leaders and the kinds of difficulties they have faced. Nelson Mandela’s perseverance while rotting in prison for 27 years can help you to feel that your workplace problems are minor compared with the sufferings of others.
4. Give a book meeting:
Managers, as well as employees, are not likely to read books that relate to management, history, or self-help. It is for this reason that there are so many workplace issues. Reading and rereading a book can improve professionalism, confidence, and business improvement techniques. This can be beneficial for both the individual and the company. You could gift your team members a book on self-help or management. Every two months, invest ten dollars.
5. Family and Health Issues meeting:
A gathering where family and health issues can be discussed openly. Because it is considered dirty laundry in public, people avoid talking about family and personal health matters. If you are able to overcome the inertia of not being able to talk about everything, it can provide valuable insight into someone’s behavior and help you understand them. Every employee has their own problems, and that may impact the way they work. On a lighter note, employees without children may be able to understand why those with kids go bald quicker or are unable to work from home. It is often not known that an employee’s health and productivity can be affected by the health of a family member. One of my team members lost his interest and concentration due to a terminal illness in his family. It lasted nearly two years. These issues can have a significant impact on an individual’s ability to concentrate, produce and contribute to the organization. The question is, should such employees be punished or encouraged to improve their performance?
6. Financial Planning Meeting:
Come together to discuss ways that team members can improve their financial planning skills and implement them in their lives. Numerous studies have shown that the majority of people don’t know much about financial planning and its importance. They could have a high salary but save virtually nothing. It will be too late for them to make any changes once the Damocles sword is on their heads. To avoid serious problems for your family and dependants, you need to make sure that you have enough money for rainy days. A personal disaster recovery plan and livelihood continuity plan are essential, just like an organization’s business continuity and disaster recovery plans. You will be able to deal with workplace harassment and job loss by having enough money in the bank or other safe investments. You never know what may happen, so it is crucial to plan ahead and save money for unexpected events.
7. Work-Life Balance Meeting:
Come discuss ways you can make work-life more balanced to improve everyone’s health. Everyone talks about work-life balance today, but not much happens in any department. In all my years of working in the workplace, I have never seen any management-sponsored mechanism to reduce stress or improve employee health. I’ve never seen an HR representative walk up to employees and chase them out at 5:00 pm or on weekends, so they can go home to have an excellent work-life balance.
8. Hobbies meeting:
Share hobbies and interests with your team. It may surprise you to discover that there is great talent in your group, which can be used and nurtured for mutual benefits.
9. Video Meetings:
Excellent DVDs with speeches, presentations, and coaching sessions are now available. They contain excellent advice from management experts and other renowned authors on a range of topics related to business and self-help. These videos can be highly educational and exciting, but they are usually quite expensive. A good selection of DVDs should be available in every department. You can also arrange video sessions for your entire team. You can also discuss many valuable topics such as email etiquette and harassment, dealing with rude customers, charity, electronic gadgets, household tricks, first aid, philosophy, and other practical issues with all your team members.
Each topic has the potential to benefit both the employee and the company in an indirect way. These meetings can yield rich dividends for both the employee as well as the company. Ask for suggestions from employees on unique topics.
You should always choose topics that are easily accessible to many people. Not everyone is interested in all cases. Don’t force someone to be interested in a subject. To make each meeting memorable and refreshing, keep it short and sweet.
Who would not like to be a part of an exciting meeting about “Fungus wilt caused by Pseudomonas Solanacearum, Calonectria, and Cylindrocladium Spathiphylli bacterias in eastern Cambodia?”
