How to Make Staff Meetings Way More Engaging ⭐⭐⭐⭐ [Fun Meeting Hacks]

Most people wouldn’t describe their staff meetings as exciting. They’re just another ho-hum part of the work routine, after all.

A lack of engagement can really cause trouble over time, however. If team members operate on auto-pilot during meetings, they may tune out important information. More importantly, they’re less likely to speak up. Another benefit of holding great staff meetings, is that it can encourage a more transparent and open work culture.

This means you don’t get the organizational insights that only your staff can see. You also miss out on the kind of creative energy that helps businesses thrive. To rectify this, you need engaging team meetings that encourage attendees to interact.

If you’re ready to pump up the energy in your team meetings, you’ve come to the right place. Here are our recommendations on how to make staff meetings more engaging, both in-person and over Zoom.

1. Ways to make team meetings more interactive
2. How to make Zoom meetings more fun
3. Engage employees with great tools

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1. 6 Ways to Make Team Meetings More Interactive

For meetings that are more fun, it’s helpful to invite team members to participate. To that end, make sure you send a good staff meeting agenda ahead of time. Ask for feedback on the agenda before the meeting. This sets an interactive tone even before the meeting begins.

Once you’ve all gathered, here are some of our best engaging meeting ideas:

1. Kick off with an icebreaker. Ideally, a good icebreaker gives each team member an opportunity to share. Check out our list of 20+ Easy, Fun Icebreakers for Meetings. It contains great ideas for both in-person and Zoom meetings.
   

2. Shake things up. It’s hard for a team member to zone out if they’re the person running the meeting. Try handing next week’s meeting off to a capable staff member. The team might appreciate meetings led by their colleagues.
   

3. Set limits for frequent speakers. Do one or two people tend to dominate your staff meetings? If the problem is that you’re running out of time to get input from everyone, get stricter with who can contribute, how often, and for how long. Institute time limits if you have to, and hit pause if things get off-topic.
   

4. Draw out infrequent speakers. Perhaps you’re having the opposite problem. If you’re sitting in a room full of hesitant participants, ask individuals directly what they think about a topic. There is a caveat here, however. You must create an environment where your staff feels safe to share. Without that, your team is sure to stay clammed up.
   

5. Ask staff for input on meeting quality. Include a question about staff meetings in your next employee survey. This way, you can get an idea of what the team likes and dislikes about meetings. Implement changes based on what you learn to demonstrate that you’re listening.
   

6. Get more granular. While you’re getting staff input, why not ask for feedback after every meeting? Many organizations now use the Level 10 Meeting format. This format asks attendees to rate the meeting as part of closing. This can help hone in on issues to avoid in the next meeting.
   

Begin and end your staff meetings with interactive prompts, and you’re on the right path. Remain attentive and present throughout the meeting to guide the room and the mood.

Fortunately, all of these engaging meeting ideas work well over Zoom, too. If your Zoom meetings need some extra help, though, we’ve got you covered.

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2. How to Make Zoom Meetings More Fun

Now that we’re often meeting virtually, we also need fun ideas for Zoom meetings. Your staff meetings shouldn’t suffer from low engagement simply because you’re working remotely.

To punch up the mood of your Zoom meetings, try one or more of these fun ideas:

1. Open with games. More than just icebreakers, games can introduce an element of friendly competition to your Zoom meetings. By tackling challenges together or apart, team members form bonds and activate their creative problem-solving skills. Check out these 24 Best Games to Play on Zoom for some ideas.
   

2. Use Zoom features for fun. Some people enjoy using humorous virtual backgrounds. Others have teamed up to create collaborative art that takes advantage of Zoom’s grid layout. Whatever your style, Zoom’s features can be leveraged to increase laughs and lighten up dreary staff meetings. Explore the platform when you’re not in a meeting and see what you find!
   

3. Take advantage of Zoom Apps. Recently, Zoom introduced Zoom Apps. These programs offer everything from games to productivity tools, and everything in between. You can now easily insert trivia, timers, and surveys into Zoom meetings seamlessly. Visit the Zoom App Marketplace to get inspired.

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3. Engage Employees in Meetings With Great Tools

If there’s a common theme when it comes to engaging staff meetings, it’s that the right tools make all the difference. There are tools available, like Fellow, that streamline agenda sharing, note taking, action item management, and more. That leaves you free to focus on what’s most important during your meetings.