How many meetings do you have in a day? How many of them are truly meaningful? Leadership requires communication but organizations that are better able to make meetings effective and truly meaningful are likely to be working towards improving their organization rather than just spinning their wheels.
For those holding meetings to get their next campaigns in place, it may be helpful to try to do so in a unique fashion. That is, think outside of the box. Support smarter communications and planning. There are a lot of ways you can do this, but here are a few recommendations for how to spur new thinking and develop new opportunities within each of your leadership meetings.
#1: Include the Right People
Sometimes leadership meetings only involve the upper levels of management. While that is important, inviting others to the meeting may also be important. That may include those who are change makers in the company, those who tend to drive real change in the organization, and those who are constantly working on innovations. The key here is to pull in more people who will provide real data and information that can ignite ideas or launch new opportunities. Look beyond the upper leadership into the organization to find these people.
#2: Ensure There’s a Creative Environment Present
Martin Rowinski of Boardsi says, “Set up a meeting in a creative environment for all of the organization’s leaders. Bring them together in a very different place. Then, ask them to come up with strategies that will allow them to push the company forward. Sometimes moving the meeting to an offsite location or in a very different environment than is normal can help to create new ways of thinking about things. Getting leadership active and creative is key.”
#3: Have a Meal Together
Invite leadership teams to a location where they can enjoy a meal together. Go one step further. Encourage everyone to prepare a meal together. They can enjoy good food and drinks while talking and interacting with each other. This type of opportunity gets people out of the usual roles they are stuck in and helps break down the company’s hierarchy. As a result of this, people are more comfortable, but at the same time, they are exploring different areas and comfort zones. This helps people to think differently. It also incorporates some fun into the experience. That helps to make it more enjoyable overall.
#4: Look to Others to Offer Ideas
Push the boundaries further to include more people in the creative development process. It is not just the company’s leadership that can help to frame success and foster innovation within the company. Look for others to invite who can also contribute.
For example, create a strategy session where you bring in the company’s leadership and the vendors themselves. Or bring in a group of customers who have varied backgrounds and opinions of the business. Have a formal conversation about the company and its prospective. Include some business advisors, too. Each of these stakeholders in the business may offer the opinions and insights needed to foster improvement in the organization.
#5: Head Outside for a Walk or a Meeting in the Park
If you do not see the results you want in a board room or you are struggling to see any real improvements in the office, go outside. Simply take the creative team on a walk. Explore the people and places around you. It is also a good idea to focus on the people around you. What is the average consumer on the street engaged in? What can your view of them say about your business? How can what you see and experience here contribute to the company?
#6: Engage with Customers Directly
Another opportunity that is present for many organizations is working directly with consumers. When you plan your meetings around customers, and where your customers are, you can create a better idea of what your end customer needs. For example, engage with your customers through conversations and questions. Talk to them about their opinions, uses, and experiences. It is a good idea to expand your knowledge of who the real customer is and what is happening in that person’s life right now.
#7: Ensure What You Are Going Over Is Really Relevant
Something that is quite overlooked in many meetings is the content itself. What is on that long list of things to talk about? How many of those conversations do not need to be in a meeting but could be had over the phone or through an email? To make meetings matter and add value to them, make sure that everyone’s time is taken seriously. If you are going to tackle a topic, make sure that you are able to do so in a meaningful way where there is a real need to spend this extra time on it.
Having a good agenda is a component of this. You also want to be sure that everyone that is included in the meeting has the ability to contribute in a meaningful way.
Meetings may be a big part of the work that you do. However, for that to happen, it is critical that you ensure that you are valuing the time of everyone present. The more unique and interesting the meeting is, the more people will engage with it and, over time, provide better insight. It’s always a good idea to do something out of the box when you want to make a change.
