Reinventing Meetings

As the world re-emerges from the global pandemic, we are presented with the opportunity to reinvent how we meet.  We now have the chance to look back at the ways we gathered prior to COVID and ask some poignant questions.  Do we still want to meet the way we used to?  What worked about that?  What didn’t?  What do we want to change?  What do we want to keep?  There are no right or wrong answers to these questions, and the responses will vary based on the situation and the audience.  That said, here are some questions to consider as you reinvent your next meeting.  These come from my experience observing meetings – both good and bad - as a guest speaker for more than a decade.  It’s amazing what you can learn by watching and listening!

What is the purpose of this meeting?

We can’t accomplish a goal if we don’t know what it is.  And nothing seems like more of a time-suck than attending a meaningless gathering.  Having a clear purpose for your meeting allows the attendees to show up with a sense of engagement, ready to accomplish a specific mission.  A clear purpose creates alignment, momentum, and focus. 

What is the name of this meeting?

What’s in a name?  Well, a lot actually.  The name of the meeting should align with the purpose.   The name sets the context, creates a sense of expectation, and clues us in on how to prepare.  How we prepare for a brainstorming session is different than how we prepare for a focus group, which is different than how we prepare for a networking gathering.

Who are we going to invite?

Having the right people in attendance makes all the difference.  Leaving important people off the list means that the group could be lacking needed expertise or authority to make decisions.  Worse still, not inviting some people could create unintentional political blow-back, or simply mean that more work will be needed to disseminate information from the meeting to those not present.  On the other hand, inviting extraneous people can create a confusing amount of input, dilute the purpose of the meeting, or risk sensitive information.

What is our platform?

The choice to go virtual, face-to-face or hybrid is one that brings up several other questions.   Not only do we want the platform to work in the context of the above three considerations, but we can also ask ourselves how long the meeting will be, do we have the technological resources needed, do we have the physical space needed, and what level of health and safety risks are we exposing ourselves to. 

Again, there are no right or wrong answers to these questions, as every meeting will have its own unique set of circumstances.  However, careful consideration of these elements will carry us a long way in powerfully and productively reinventing meetings as the world continues to evolve. 

Make your next meeting a success by working with Sewa Beats.   Connect with us at www.sewabeatsusa.com or call us at 800-273-1465.

Photo Credit: pineandforge.com