Get Meetings Out Of The Comfort Zone, Drone Zone And Panic Zone

1. Change the venue
   
   Venues influence our thinking, and repetitive venues encourage repetitive patterns of thinking. Use different rooms if you are restricted to a particular location.
   
   If you are able to hold the meeting in another location, such as the local café, or a client's boardroom, or the city's art gallery - take the opportunity. Staff will be stimulated into new ways of looking at old issues.
   
   
2. Change the layout
   
   People tend to gravitate to a favourite position in a room for a regular meeting. Some do it for comfort, some for power, others to minimise anxiety. Most do it subconsciously. Sitting in the same seat reinforces their habitual thinking.
   
   Force them to change their perspective by changing the table or seating arrangement; mix the attendees using creative name-tags; mix teams by crossing roles (or gender, age, length of service, first name or birth-date, etc.). Different partners and teams will stimulate staff.
   
   
3. Change the formality
   
   If the meeting is always formal in agenda, the contributions are likely to be formal. If you want brainstorming and creative breakthroughs, introduce informality through short team games, quizzes, and comedy time.
   
   Staff will appreciate these 5 to 15 minute sessions, and their level of interest, creativity and commitment always takes a leap after these sessions (even for those who say they don't like them!).
   
   
4. Change the format
   
   We tend to have a fixed or favourite agenda format for regular meetings. If your meetings are boring, throw the format out. Staff will respond to new and challenging ways of looking at regular issues. They will also take the learning and processes back to their own jobs.
   
   
   • Bring the contentious issues forward and use a problem-solving model to resolve them;
     
     
   • Introduce humor to lighten the difficult issues;
     
     
   • Use a team decision-making process for issues requiring consensus; or
     
     
   • Use a debate format for bringing out opposing points of view.
     
     
     
5. Change the times
   
   Meeting times are not sacrosanct. Assuming it is results you are wanting from a meeting, occasionally adjust the day and the time to allow more discussion or debate, reflection or review, drawing conclusions and deciding future actions. Staff will appreciate the flexibility and the extra time allowed.

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