Meetings are a critical aspect of daily business. Without them, it would be next to impossible to align your teams and advance your mission. However, most business owners struggle to make their meetings more productive. The benefits of holding offsite meetings are great, and if you haven’t yet considered it, here’s a few great reasons to start:
1.Encourages innovation
A change of scenery is highly stimulating to the creative process. Science tells us that creative solutions tend to come to us by way of seemingly unconnected or unrelated ideas, and they often happen more reliably when we step outside of our normal environment. Think about how many great ideas you’ve had in the shower or the car! Mind you, these may not be the most practical places to hold offsite meetings, but it illustrates a valid point: getting out of your element sparks new ideas.
2.Improves relationships
Your employees might not work directly with each other every day, so putting them at the same table in an offsite meeting now and then will help them to make those connections. If you work with remote teams, this will give your home team a chance to put faces to the names and better the rapport between them, potentially improving interactions and business results.
3.Show your employees you care
Holding offsite meetings is a way to give your teams something special while still getting a lot of valuable work accomplished. A new environment, a catered lunch, and time away from the office will refresh, renew, and invigorate company morale. Choose a fun space, and there is better likelihood that your team will see it as a retreat and more of a benefit to them than just another meeting.
4.Strengthens the team dynamic
Team building is another great reason to hold offsite meetings. It’s a way for your teams to interact and for your employees to discover ways in which they contribute to the greater goal. By fostering strong interpersonal relationships, your teams will function better as a whole because they can connect each work-related action to the bigger picture.
To lock it in, here are some tips on how to take advantage of all the benefits offsite meetings:
Don’t make it all about work
Make sure you take some time out to do something completely unrelated to work, like have a great lunch or go for an inspiring walk in nature.
Keep your meeting groups small
The ideal meeting size for offsite meetings is between five and ten participants. Less than five and you won’t get a lot of ideas. More than ten and you run the risk of losing focus.
Choose diversity
Consider stats that include experience, length of time at the company, gender, and ethnicity, and choose your meeting attendees across diverse lines. You might also want to invite people from different departments whose work sometimes overlaps. This will ensure a lively discussion and get your employees thinking outside the box.
If you are thinking about scheduling an offsite meeting, Fusion Workplaces offers meeting rooms on-demand as well as everything to ensure your meeting is a success. Call today to learn more or book online.
