Improve Your Meetings – and Build Your Team

All too often, staff meetings are seen as boring, time wasting events.  Sometimes even depressing.  They certainly don’t need to be!

Here’s an idea we implemented for most team meetings at The Land Conservancy of BC:  we started every meeting with an opportunity for each team member to tell the team about the highlights of the last week.   What has happened to you that ‘made your day’ or ‘made your week’?   What made you smile?  What made a lump rise in your throat because of an act of kindness, a thank you?   What did a co-worker do for you? What did a customer or member do that was your highlight?  Negatives are not permitted in this part of the meeting.

Make this change in your meetings and you will be amazed at the results after only a few meetings.    Share these highlights, rejoice in them together.   After a few meetings even the most introverted will open up to share their highlights and good ideas will flow. But more than anything, this practice brings front and centre your motivations and the reasons “why” you are doing the work you do.  It puts all of your challenges, duties and tasks into a positive context – and makes them all more achievable.

This idea was developed by two wonderful young managers, Heather Skydt and Wendy Innes, after reading, and being inspired by, the book “What Kind of World do you Want” by Jim Lord.   The concept is simple, but the results are magic, it will transform meetings into something to enjoy.    It will result in good ideas, and productive teams. And it will keep you focused on what you can achieve, not just your problems.

Comments are closed.