If you have been to one, you have been to them all. The usual office meeting where everyone shuffles to the nearest conference room to hear the latest news regarding office policy and other information. You, in typical fashion, find your way to your favourite spot, and if this is your lucky day, your seat is open.
After waiting for what seems like an eternity, the meeting starts, and you half-listen while daydreaming about stopping by Hungry Jack’s for lunch. Your daydream is interrupted when your manager announces a new policy regarding pay raises and benefits. He hands out what seems to be a packet of information, and this is when the meeting gets messy. As he speaks, you try to follow along and then he starts flipping through that overhead projector thingy. Before you know it, you are lost. Plus, someone’s head is obstructing your view of the monitor.
Keep reading below to learn about ways to avoid making these common meeting room mistakes.
Crowding Out Your Co-Workers
The worst thing about sitting in meetings is when you are literally shoulder to shoulder with others in the room because the room is too small or cramped. You can find a spot at the back in which to stand, but for lengthy meetings, this can be quite uncomfortable. Some of the more comfortable spaces calculate enough room for each occupant. For an example of the way in which one company has mastered meeting room setup, visit http://www.servcorp.com.au/en/meeting-rooms/.
Meeting Room Design
One of the major issues related to why people end up finding the average business meeting an exhausting effort is room design. If not sitting at your typical conference table, most meeting room setups obstruct the view of the people who need the information. For the most part, your employees find themselves trying to peer over the heads of others, or worse yet, peering over equipment that might obstruct the view of the computer monitor.
Professional meetings rooms, conversely, are designed for business. For this reason, monitors are never obstructed by people or other objects. When you or other people are presenting, you do not have to worry about co-workers being distracted by these obstructions.
Technology Fumbles
One of the best ways to make a meeting become the worst nightmare for your employees is by incorporating technology that you are not comfortable using or are unfamiliar with. As you fumble with the technology, your co-workers impatiently wait for you to figure out how to turn on the monitor at the smart station. Worse yet, your equipment at the home office is completely different to the setup before you, so you have to rely on others in the room to help you navigate getting through the meeting. These, and other issues with technology can result in interruptions that make the meeting last far longer than necessary. To combat, arrive a few minutes earlier to acquaint yourself with the equipment.
Lighting
Rooms that are too well-lit or too dim can be distracting to those in a meeting. Artificial lighting that is too bright can make it very difficult to concentrate on the speaker. Conversely, rooms that are dimly lit make it difficult for those in the audience to see what is on the monitor or screen. Perfect lighting does drastically affect the meeting room experience.
Other Minor Annoyances
First impressions do matter, and when having to wait outside a room for a maintenance man to unlock a room, you can find yourself faced with a room full of disgruntled co-workers and employees. Worse yet, the room is being prepared just as people are arriving at the space. To avoid this, always be sure to call the day before to make sure the space is available for use, and the day of the meeting, arrive a few minutes earlier to make sure the door is open and the room is set up.
Additionally, inadequate or uncomfortable furniture can wreak havoc on a meeting. Chairs that squeak as people shift in their seats and those ones reminiscent of those used by school-aged children, yeah the ones with the hard seats, are okay for maybe the first hour. However, going into hour two, your co-workers will be begging for a break just to rest their bottoms.
Make Your Next Meetings Better Than Ever
To avoid the above office mistakes, consider seeking out professionals to help you with perfecting the art of holding meetings. Your meetings are the chance to wow your employees with the ability to inform them in the most comfortable setting possible. Plus, even the worst news about office happenings is more palatable when sitting in a meeting room full of plush, leather office chairs.