Many times when hearing the words “Staff Meeting” employees may think it is code for an hour of meaningless conversation that usually involves bitter coffee and donuts. At Avalon Communications, we think differently. Staff meetings should be fun as well as informative, and time should be used wisely. In the public relations world there is no such thing as free time, so when we have a meeting every minute counts. Below are a few tips so getting the most out of a staff meeting.

Be prepared. When attending staff meetings be sure that you are up to date on all of your clients. There is nothing worse than being asked a question regarding your client and not knowing the answer. If it helps, try printing out a mini-update or summary of where you are with a certain client as well as any pertinent information that may come up in conversation. Bring a writing pad and pen with you to the meeting in case you need to jot down any extra information.

Organize the meeting space. Do you use a projector in your staff meetings? Be sure the computer works. Have a whiteboard? Make sure you have markers. These may seem like easy things to remember but it’s the little things people tend to forget. This way, you are prepared to start your meeting right away rather than testing out 10 markers and wasting 10 minutes. Another thing to keep in mind is to have a clean meeting table, this way employees will not get distracted and be able to apply themselves to the meeting.

Have fun! Remember that staff meetings should also be fun! Order in lunch, have a quick catch up on current events, whatever you feel might lighten the mood. This will help create an atmosphere where employees feel comfortable voicing their opinion, making for a very productive staff meeting.

Do you have any tips or tricks to getting the most out of your staff meetings? Share them with us in a comment below!

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