Jill Manley, group commercial director at The Celtic Collection, discusses the benefits of small meetings and shares her top tips on how to motivate your attendees.
After almost 18 months of video calls and virtual meetings with numerous attendees, often talking over each other, we
have realised that bigger isn’t always better when it comes to meetings. In fact, smaller meetings can have a greater impact on business goals and attendee wellbeing.
Why host a smaller meeting?
There are a lot of benefits that come with reducing the invite list; increased productivity, focus and creativity to a name but a few. Holding a smaller meeting means that you will need to put some thought into who will be attending, and if they need to be there. It might be tricky cutting the list at first, especially if you have a large team, but remember not everyone will be able to contribute to the discussion. By carefully selecting the attendees that are needed and freeing up the diaries of those who aren’t, you are increasing productivity across all aspects of your business.
We’ve found that having fewer voices in the room in our internal creative and strategy sessions has helped us to achieve some great results and reach decisions quicker.
Short and sweet
If you are reducing the number of people at your meeting you should also consider reducing the agenda points. Where you can, try to streamline the agenda to keep your attendees motivated throughout the meeting and to ensure the most crucial items are discussed and reviewed. It will also make the outcomes and actions from the meeting easier to digest and delegate.
A change of scenery
It can be hard to feel creative when you are staring at the same four walls or laptop screen. Regardless of if
you have returned to the office, or if you are still working from home, scheduling an in-person meeting away from your daily work location will be appreciated by your attendees. We have just launched our new meeting space, The Telegraph Room, at The Parkgate Hotel, which is ideal for smaller meetings. Being in the heart of Cardiff is incredibly beneficial, with plenty of open spaces to explore, including Bute Park, which is a short walk from the hotel.
Many of us have experienced a renewed appreciation for the great outdoors because of the pandemic. Taking a short walk not only helps to boost creativity and productivity but it also boosts physical and mental wellbeing.
