11 Ways To Get Your Employees To Meetings

What are the first words that come to your mind when you are called into a meeting? If you are like most employees, they are probably "boring," "waste of time," or other similar terms. Yet for all of the negatives, meetings can be quite fruitful.

Talia Y. Leman, in "A Random Book About the Power of Anyone," wrote that there are ways for nonprofit managers to make employees dread meeting less. Some of the ideas come from Ben Hirschfeld of the Lit! Solar Lantern Project, and others are Leman’s own:

• Remember the win/win. Find out what makes individuals tick and help them understand how participating will help them;
• Get on their calendars. Give advance notice, and send reminders;
• Make attendance matter. Prepare agendas to harness the value others bring;
• Make their role matter. Having significant roles with official titles helps them see their contribution as a priority;
• Make it fit. Match people with jobs that fit their skills and interests;
• Make it simple. Break down actions that forward team goals into manageable steps with clear completion dates;
• Double-team mission-critical tasks. Adding a backup or co-leader can make a difference in making people comfortable and getting the job done;
• Take care of the team. Snacks and meals can be helpful, as are practical details about locations, etc.;
• Keep it moving. Respect people’s time;
• Keep everyone in the loop. People like to be part of a winning team; and,
• Build team spirit and show appreciation. Even a simple “thank you” matters.