Do you operate amongst a stressed, overwhelmed, tired workforce? Are you looking to run an event and you don’t want people to fall asleep on you? Do multitaskers distract you? Here are three unusual things to try to help you optimize people’s comfort and energy at a meeting.
1. Leverage meeting window times – the morning version. For a weekday group morning meeting, aim for a 10am meeting start time. Why? Because it will give people a chance to log in, get settled, and get anything else that is urgent out of the way. The problem with early morning meeting times, as in 7am to 8:30am, is that you are going to be competing for mental attention with anyone who has a kid in school or who is a caregiver in general. Give working parents and caregivers a window to first manage morning drop off and then to get themselves centered before joining your meeting. My personal preference is to host a meeting that starts at 9am at the earliest, if not at 10am, whenever possible.
2. Leverage meeting window times – the afternoon version. Try to end your weekday group meeting by 2:30pm if you can. The problem with late afternoons, as in 2:30pm to 4pm, is that it is peak pickup time for working parents if they need to pick up their child from school or bring them to an extracurricular activity. While it doesn’t affect everyone, it does affect some, including people who are already pretty stretched thin and likely sleep deprived.
3. Have a walking meeting. Outside. In a walking meeting, you are ideally outdoors, and you are walking while you talk. Catch some morning daylight if you can. Walking meetings are ideal if you having to work out an idea, need some creativity, or are processing through a stressful scenario. They work well for small groups of up to about three people. Find a loop, a park, a place with low traffic, or a track that is not in use. If the weather is not cooperative, try an indoor mall. If you need to take notes, consider bringing a small notebook, taking notes on your phone, or using index cards that can fit in your pocket.
To be sure, some workflows make unusual meeting times seem improbable, if not impossible. For some people, once they start their day, they may be resistant to step away for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon meeting. Some people feel very strongly about meeting as early in the morning as possible. If people are resistant to the idea of playing with meeting window times, see if they would be willing to try it a few times and then revisit. Adjust according to what the group needs, not defaulting to how things have always been done, unless that is what the current group would like to do. Walking meetings may not be feasible in some geographic areas. Privacy issues or other sound concerns might also limit your options for meeting outdoors. If walking itself is not an option, find a place to sit outside when feasible.
Observe the peak energy patterns of your coworkers. During what part of the day do they seem to be at their best? For an all-hands meeting, consider scheduling during the window of 10am – 2pm, or 9:30am – 2:30pm. Another reason to aim for that part of the day is that if you have people traveling to your meeting from afar, the later morning start time gives them a chance to travel and get settled without the added stress and potential sleep deprivation from having to leave the house extra early in the morning or having to travel over the day before. Trust that people will make good use of their time before and afterwards. Trust that people need time to get centered and take care of their own needs before entering a meeting space. If you or the people around you are rushing from one meeting to the next, showing up without having time to hydrate or otherwise regroup, the feeling of scattered energy will add to the stress of a meeting. No matter what, please don’t schedule a standing meeting for Monday morning at 8 or 9am, unless every member of the group insists on it. Know your people, ask them what they need, and allow for flexibility according to the ebb and flow of people’s lives. They will appreciate the consideration you give them, and in their peak flow they will then have the energy to give back more than you could have ever imagined.
For more tips from me about running meetings in general, including what I call the “precious sweet spot” of a meeting time, see: https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/a-dartmouth-professor-on-the-art-of-running-meetings-with-you-in-the-drivers-seat
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Disclaimer: These tips are meant to be a helpful starting point of ideas. Proceed at your own risk. Each person and organization is different, and this information may or may not help you. Try what resonates with you, keeping in mind common sense and circumstances. Seek professional advice that is tailored to your specific situation.
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