All posts by Hunter Meine

Is the Dashboard Dying?

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Is the Dashboard Dying?

While dashboards are one of many methods, there are situations when a dashboard is still the best tool to assist in making the correct choices.

Dashboards are associated with analytics. It moved us away from the early days of legacy reporting when IT was the only data specialist. But they also spawned a plethora of modern-day corporate issues.

Some of the annoying issues with dashboards are that they constantly change user processes, learn new skills, and dig through comprehensive data too frequently with too many unconnected insights. And how about those executive meetings where a dashboard is an ineffective tool?

Is a dashboard a waste of time or not?

As a consequence, analytics are moving away from dashboards. Apps help us react to emails, find new music, and even monitor our health plans and health goals. Companies design software that predicts cancellations and no-shows based on past data. However, Gartner expects that these dashboards will be obsolete in the future. Incoming automation will take over, and they’ll dynamically create insights adapted to a user’s demands. This allows anybody in the company to get insight from data professionals.

What if the issue with standalone dashboards is that they are merely an app? What if we could give dashboards a curated blend of particular, practical data insights — to users at their point of consumption?

A new way of thinking about dashboards and analytics.

The user’s workflow and context must come first, followed by the insights required — and their presentation. Dashboards are one of many methods to communicate data insights to knowledgeable workers. Still, there are situations when a dashboard is still the best tool to assist leaders and employees in making the correct choices.

Quick decision-making knowledge

The dashboard in our cars is one of the first instances of a dashboard, and it does its functions well.

Why? Behind the wheel, drivers constantly judge speed, braking, steering, road conditions, and even the vehicle’s condition. If made simply on intuition, these judgments may have life-altering consequences without supporting facts. Dashboards are vital in a vehicle. It presents several parameters that drivers may quickly assess and utilize to adjust the vehicle in real-time.

In many other real-time business contexts, the dashboard is the best approach to incorporate data insights. We see great dashboards with utilities wanting to measure usage, emergency rooms that must monitor supplies and patient diagnoses, warehousing coordination of thousands of items, truck deliveries, and customers.

In each of these cases, we require a selected collection of particular insights to act. Dashboards may let employees quickly get real-time information, make choices, perform an action and repeat the ongoing processes of a business.

Assisting teams in dashboard action

Before COVID, many business people passed by TVs showing firm KPI dashboards. While many organizations have returned or are returning to the office — others will use online conference rooms, collaboration tools, and corporate portals to interact. These shared workspaces are a great area to include data insights in dashboards.

Shared dashboards are ideal for group analytics for two reasons:

First, dashboards show the same stats regardless of the viewer. This keeps groups on the same page. Employees may monitor their progress together. Boards may advise CEOs to use the same measures. Public corporations must give particular quarterly figures (typically in raw tables), so public investors may compete.

Second, asynchronous shared dashboards keep teams aware of vital but less urgent information depending on their particular processes. This allows teams to behave as one, such as at a meeting. Others who merely need to be informed may concentrate on their task without being distracted. Finally, everyone stays on the same page, working at their own speed.

Using analytics at work

With each new generation of analytics and business intelligence, we grow closer to using data to make choices. This is why we must constantly emphasize people’s workflows and consumption points, not the other way around.

Consider analysts who interpret data. It’s their primary app, not a different one. So they should be using analytics and BI tools. A dashboard might help salespeople receive a quick snapshot of their quota progress or which accounts to follow up with when they first log into their CRM.

Dashboards, at a glance, may be vital for physicians, mechanics, and facility managers. In each case, the dashboard provides valuable information depending on the user’s workflow and environment.

Finally, how we display data insights is a decision. Going beyond the dashboard doesn’t imply we don’t need IT-led reporting in some instances.

Simple future: Find out where knowledge workers are working, and then give ideas that can help them. The dashboard is the best option in certain circumstances, and we’ll know because people will utilize it and make better judgments. This is just common sense for our uncommon times. We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

Is the Dashboard Dying? was originally published on Calendar.com on Oct. 15, 2022, by Hunter Meine. Featured Image: Josh Sorenson; Pexels.com; Thank you!

5 Ways Appointment-Based Businesses Can Contribute to Sustainability

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Businesses Contribute to Sustainability

As someone who owns or operates an appointment-based business, you have myriad responsibilities and expectations. At the top of the list is providing quality services to customers and establishing a profitable business that can support you and your employees. While these concerns are of utmost importance, they shouldn’t be the only ones on your list. Sustainability also needs to be in there somewhere.

Sustainability is a topic that many businesses skirt around, choosing to place their focus elsewhere. The reality is that a sustainable business can not only be profitable, but it’s also one of the best ways to benefit your company and its surrounding community. We only have one world to share, and our collective efforts to promote sustainability will improve the quality of life for everyone. Here are some ways you can make a difference:

1. Go Paperless

One of the biggest changes you can make is to go paperless. Businesses use a lot of documents every day. If you’re logging data and completing tasks the old-fashioned way, you’ll burn through a lot of paper. More paper means more deforestation is needed to supply business needs.

There are other obvious benefits from going paperless besides being more environmentally friendly. By going completely digital, you no longer have to pay for reams of paper. Digital storage and search capabilities also mean less time spent filing and retrieving documents. The time savings will be quite significant and can be devoted to additional sustainability measures.

There are a lot of ways you can eliminate paper usage if you continue to look. For example, rather than printing menus, many restaurants are using QR codes that enable customers to pull up menus on their phones. Other businesses can mirror this tactic by using QR codes to share service options, replacing pamphlets in waiting rooms.

2. Embrace Recycling Programs

Recycling programs have been in place for many years. However, not enough people seem to be participating in them, especially in business settings. This can be due to a lack of interest, accessibility, or information on how to do so.

Your business can embrace recycling programs, helping both employees and customers take part in the effort to make the world more sustainable. Start by placing recycling bins in appropriate areas in your building. Then, if there’s no scheduled municipal pickup, make sure the collected materials get taken to the proper locations for processing. This will give customers the opportunity to recycle used containers and paper without having to worry about the logistics.

3. Reduce Energy Usage

Electricity comes from many sources, but a lot of it is still produced by burning fossil fuels. It’s no secret that fossil fuels aren’t great for the environment. You probably can’t dictate the method your local electric utility uses to generate electricity. But you can shrink your personal carbon footprint by reducing your energy usage.

One way to do this is to become more energy-efficient. Replace old light bulbs with more efficient LEDs that don’t run your electric bill so high. Smart thermostats, updated appliances, and a new HVAC system will all contribute to more efficient energy usage.

The next thing you can do is remove the need for energy in certain instances. Turn off lights in rooms that are not occupied. Unplug appliances that aren’t in use, like the microwave in the break room. While these actions might seem small at first, they add up over time.

4. Enable Remote Solutions Where Possible

Speaking of fossil fuels, a lot of emissions come from employees commuting to work or customers driving to your place of business. In an appointment-based business model, this is often unavoidable. However, there are ways that you can reduce driving time to save people money and reduce overall emissions.

Start by looking at remote work arrangements for your company. Phone systems can be set up in an employee’s home, enabling them to answer calls during business hours without actually driving to the office. They can save time and money by working from home and enjoying casual Fridays all week long.

Certain remote solutions can be extended to your customers as well. While most appointments require in-person interaction, there are instances where things can be done digitally. For example, you can complete a quick check-up with the doctor via video call rather than an in-office appointment.

5. Donate to Sustainability-Oriented Causes

Corporations commonly make donations to different causes and charities. They often do this as a tax write-off, but some business owners genuinely want to help make a difference in their local communities. Your company can do the same by making donations to groups that are focusing on sustainability.

Begin by looking for local sustainability projects that may be in the works. If a local nonprofit is installing solar panels on behalf of low-income homeowners, for example, your business can be one of the sponsors. If you don’t find suitable projects at a local level, expand your scope to state or national endeavors. There are myriad worthwhile environmental organizations to which you can make a contribution.

Sustainability efforts reflect well on your business, which will contribute to its success. But these actions go so much further than that. You’ll be helping make the world a better place for the next generation at the same time.

5 Ways You Can Handle Customer Issues Smoothly

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5 Ways You Can Handle Customer Issues Smoothly

No business is an island. Each company exists only because of its customer base. Without paying customers, even the best products, services, and ideas will go nowhere. How you choose to handle customer issues is of utmost importance.

There are many ways that companies can convince consumers to spend money on their brand. Marketing campaigns and product design are important for that reason. However, many companies fail to focus sufficiently on one of the most important aspects of business: customer service.

How you treat your customers, especially when they have problems and concerns, says a lot about your organization. A positive customer service experience can convert a one-time buyer into a lifelong loyalist. In contrast, a poor customer service experience can permanently drive people away. Here are some processes you can establish to deal with your customers’ issues properly:

1. Provide Thorough Customer Service Training

Your frontline employees will be the people who handle most customer issues. The more training they receive, the better they can handle such issues. By budgeting for and conducting comprehensive customer service training, you set your workers up for success when dealing with difficult situations.

Fortunately, you don’t have to create your own customer service training program. That can be a lot of work to put together and execute, especially while running the other aspects of your business. Look for outside help to get your employees the training they need. There are plenty of qualified third-party training services you can reach out to.

That said, customer service training shouldn’t be a one-and-done event. Continuously remind your team of the importance of customer service. If additional training is needed, take the initiative to provide it in a timely fashion.

2. Solicit Customer Feedback

Try as you might to run a perfect operation, things will inevitably go south from time to time. When a customer has a bad experience — whether it’s an overlong wait or an uneven bang trim — strive to learn from the situation. This will help prevent repeat errors from occurring in the future.

A great way to gain insight into customer issues is to conduct surveys. Make your survey request after the initial problem has been resolved, and preferably via email. The last thing a frustrated customer wants to do is answer survey questions over the phone while trying to get a problem fixed.

Tailor survey questions to get at the root cause of each problem and ways future instances can be avoided. Ask customers what they would have liked to see done differently and try to implement their suggestions. Making positive changes is how you can better deal with similar issues in the future or avoid them entirely.

3. Offer Online Resources

Not all customer issues will occur within the 9-to-5 window. This doesn’t make them any less frustrating for your patrons. While you might not have someone available to help them at that specific moment, you can set up online resources that can provide helpful guidance.

Take chatbots as an example. These little AI-powered assistants sit within your website ready to answer simple questions website visitors might have. While they can only offer preset suggestions and responses, the assistance they provide is better than leaving impatient customers hanging.

Other resources such as an FAQs page or how-to videos can also be quite helpful. These pages are always accessible and may supply the assistance customers need before they place an annoyed phone call.

4. Maintain the Human Connection

Many companies are using automation to speed up a lot of their processes. While efficiency is always desirable, be careful not to lose the important human connection with your customers. Appointment-based businesses that develop relationships with their regulars should be especially mindful of this.

For example, an automated phone system can guide callers through booking an appointment or checking on wait times. This frees up employees from the phone lines so they can take care of in-house issues. However, not all customers can — or want to — navigate an automated system. If you’d like to implement an automated call menu, be sure to give callers the option of speaking with an in-house employee.

All your other automated systems should keep the human connection in mind. There should at least be access to a company representative for times when automation falls short. No automated system is perfect, and even if one was, many customers still prefer human interaction.

5. Stick to Your Policies

Unfortunately, you can’t just give in to every demand when a customer faces a minor inconvenience. Each customer service incident sets a precedent for future interactions. Having policies in place can provide helpful boundaries and protections for both customers and employees when resolving issues.

Take the common 30-day return policy, for example. A customer is entitled to return an item within a month of purchasing it. Exceptions are not made on day 31. This policy protects the employee from having to make difficult judgment calls and clearly tells customers what expectations regarding returns are.

Appointment-based businesses should establish their own firm policies as well. Your business may allow service animals at appointments, for example, but draw the line at regular pets. Some customers may take issue with that, but they should be required to respect the policy you have in place. In this way, you show respect for all those who visit your business.

Keeping customers content is an uphill battle companies fight every day. While it may seem like an endless challenge, the way you approach this will directly reflect on the success of your business. Take proper care of your customers, and they will take care of you in return.

Featured Image: Stefan Lorentz; Pexels.com. Thank you!

How Can I Better Manage My Time Management Needs

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You can always do better to improve your time management abilities and habits. Manage your time management needs to make your life better.

Signs that you need to improve your time management abilities and habits include the following:

  • your long-term ambitions appear elusive;
  • you are not getting much done; and
  • you miss or move your deadlines.

There is no project manager assigned to your life to manage your time and responsibilities properly. You can take charge of your own time management needs.

Everyone struggles with time management. It is a skill most of us could use some help to improve. However, signs that you need to improve your time management abilities and habits include:

  • your long-term ambitions appear elusive;
  • you often miss or move deadlines;
  • you can’t concentrate and struggle to accomplish chores or projects;
  • your work list is overwhelming;
  • you decide you just cannot do it all;
  • you labor longer than you should on particular tasks;
  • you’re always stressed; and
  • you’re trying hard…but getting nowhere.

If any of the following apply to you, it’s time to grow up a bit and work on your time management.

Finding Out How Time Management Works

1. Set objectives.

We often ignore goals while managing our time.

It’s easy to lose sight of long-term objectives amid everyday duties. As a result, you may struggle to concentrate on the most pressing issues or prioritize your extensive list of responsibilities.

Overwhelmed? Re-evaluate your task list. Will spending time on this specific task help you achieve your goals?

Work from your SMART objectives: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic/Relevant, and Time-Based. Unrealistic or vague objectives are challenging to monitor and generally unfinished.

2. Plan your time.

Stop letting others schedule your time.

The most effective strategy to acquire time management skills is to be purposeful with your time. You are making time management a habit that may help you achieve long-term objectives while reducing distractions and increasing attention. When planning your time working from home, keep in mind different timetables.

For example, notify your roommates when you don’t want to be disturbed, go to a public place, or make a lot of noise. Establishing expectations ahead of time decreases the possibilities for conflict.

3. Plan time chunks.

Blocking your time is an excellent method to prioritize non-urgent, long-term projects that demand attention and significant labor.

  • It’s generally put on hold when more pressing duties demand your attention.
  • Setting aside time to focus on specific tasks ensures progress.
  • Limiting work time also reduces task fatigue.

A shared calendar at work might help discourage employees from arranging meetings within your time blocks.

4. Find your time management peak hours.

Power hours are when you have the most incredible energy and do the most.

You may already be aware of your power hours. If you’re unsure, monitor your time to find out. Therefore, during your power hours, schedule your most vital and time-consuming chores.

However, schedule monotonous jobs that don’t demand much concentration throughout the day.

5. Use sprints for focus.

It’s not always simple to start a job or work deep. Therefore, the Pomodoro approach works well for task beginning and attention issues.

Schedule brief (15–30 minute) periods of intense concentration on a single activity. Then take a five-minute pause between sprints. Prepare a distraction-free environment before a concentration sprint. Get rid of everything except what you need to complete your task.

For example, enable Do Not Disturb on your devices. Avoid putting up with talkative roommates. Your sprints may be as long or as short as you choose. However, five- and ten-minute sprints with one-minute pauses may be more suitable for you.

6. Set time management priorities.

Our to-do lists may suddenly balloon. Idea generation and idealization are human strengths. Ideas are limitless, but time is limited. Pretending you can manufacture time increases your stress levels. For example, the Eisenhower Matrix is a powerful prioritizing tool.

Even if you don’t use the diagram to prioritize activities, the vocabulary and structure may help you evaluate their worth. For example, tasks that need quick attention.

  • Important: Tasks that help you achieve your objectives. However, they aren’t always urgent, yet failure to do so has significant implications.

The Eisenhower Time Management Matrix divides work into four quadrants. Using this approach will help you prioritize your tasks.

Prioritize these tasks. Next, do these things.

  • Important But Not Urgent: Postpone or assign. Don’t do it! Remove it from your list.

You don’t have to do everything. However, delete tasks that don’t fulfill your aims to save time, especially if you created them. It takes some trial and error to find the right one for you. Nevertheless, it is possible to build good time management skills.

7. Schedule your week and days.

Every day and week, set your aims and priorities. However, planning your calendar offers you a better sense of the future and allows you to prepare for it.

Therefore, checking in on your time management priorities keeps you on track with your objectives and helps you to adjust to new ones.

8. Saying no.

Time is limited. Even in business, boundaries are necessary. You may feel pressured to say yes to every request, but you aren’t.

It’s essential to be aggressive, know your limitations, and avoid over-committing. Breach of obligations erodes confidence in relationships.

9. Feed your brain.

We frequently take our intellect for granted. Focus isn’t only a result of willpower. Our brains must be in tip-top shape.

You are taking pauses, sleeping enough, eating well, exercising regularly, and socializing to help executive function. If you’ve ever felt “hangry” or grumpy after a stormy night’s sleep, you’re not 100%.

However, when you’re irritable, you’re more likely to create problems at work and at home. Therefore, trying to work when you’re not at your best leads to poor work and mental misery.

10. Stop looking for motivation or inspiration.

You won’t get much done if you wait for inspiration to hit. Set a small objective to get started.

Focus sprints might help you finish challenging activities. Starting time management may inspire you even for five minutes. However, don’t ignore social media.

11. No such thing as time management multitasking.

Multitasking is a losing proposition. Constant interruptions degrade attention, reducing work completion.

Instead of jumping from activity to task, make a list of recurring charges and schedule them. However, it’s tough to resist multitasking when you’re not the only one working from home, but setting limits will pay you in the long term. However, always look for new time savers.

12. Plan your message check-ins.

You may believe checking every email, social media direct message, and phone contact are polite. Like multitasking, these random interruptions limit your capacity to accomplish serious work. Instead, schedule time to catch up on mail.

How Can I Better Manage My Time Management Needs was oringinally published on Calendar by Hunter Meine. Featured Image Credit: CottonBro; Pexels. Thank you!

How to Make Remote Team Meetings Shorter and Better

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remote team meetings

Virtual team meetings are essential for remote team collaboration and productivity: they serve as a venue for aligning on shared goals. And, yes — it’s a venue. The team needs to understand that this virtual meeting spot is your hangout, your space, your place, and your venue. This information tells them — we meet here; we belong here.

It doesn’t take much to undermine the magic when team meetings don’t work.

Meetings with no purpose or organization are not only a waste of time, but they also stifle employee productivity and irritate employees. It’s no surprise that many people find meetings inconvenient, boring, useless, and just too frequent.

Do you want your employees to feel that way about your meetings? You want your team to be happy, productive, and active in their work community.

So here we are, with some practical suggestions for doing shorter, more productive meetings while avoiding the common pitfalls of remote work. You want high performance.

1. Should we meet, or should we not meet?

Nobody likes to waste their time in ineffective meetings; therefore, first and foremost:

Consider if you really need a meeting or whether you can get the same outcome with a different approach.

Is it feasible to send an email or a short video message summarizing the significant points of your meeting?

Can you address your problem at the next meeting if your team has recurring sessions to address any changes or impediments?

Avoid the temptation to “invite everyone just in case” and instead focus on the most critical attendees to the meeting’s success.

2. Hold meetings that will benefit your whole team.

According to recent research, 42% of remote workers felt “more productive” after working uninterrupted for an extended period. Conversely, getting everyone in the exact virtual location without disturbing production might be challenging, especially if you’re working with a remote team that spans many time zones.

Before agreeing on a time for your meeting, check calendars to see what people’s working hours are.

Instead of spreading meetings throughout the day, consider grouping them together to create large windows of uninterrupted work time.

Avoid scheduling a lot of emergencies or unexpected meetings since they may cause an employee’s regular workday to crash.

Encourage members of your team to keep track of their own schedules.

As a consequence, meeting planners will have a better understanding of the best days and times for everyone.

3. Make a thorough team meeting strategy.

Setting a clear agenda for each virtual meeting that includes the following things is critical:

In addition, there is a time restriction for each component and crucial talking points.

Attendants

Each team member participates in the meeting according to your expectations.

Any relevant documents

Aside from questions and answers or debate,

Set a meeting time limit and stick to it — you want your meetings to be as productive as possible!

Everyone can prepare if the plan is shared ahead of time.

4. Keep everyone’s attention.

All of the components we’ve described are necessary for a virtual meeting to take place.

But now comes the tricky part: keeping the team engaged throughout the meeting.

You have to work twice as hard to produce realistic, in-person conversations in a virtual environment since you don’t have all of them in an office setting.

Spend a few minutes at the beginning of the meeting checking in with everyone, keeping up with what is happening, or just discussing the most recent series everyone is talking about.

This will strengthen your team’s culture while also fostering an open and welcoming atmosphere.

Also, remember that remote collaboration may be more difficult or stressful than face-to-face collaboration.

According to studies, Microsoft observed that brainwave indications associated with overwork and stress are much higher in video meetings than in non-meeting work.

In a virtual conference, participants must maintain regular eye contact with the screen to extract essential information and stay engaged. Unfortunately, there are few nonverbal cues to assist them in reading the room or knowing when it’s their turn to speak.

To keep your team’s attention and ensure that everyone on the team has a role, try to break up long meetings with little breaks every thirty minutes.

Passive listeners are prone to be bored or distracted, but giving them a role may help them feel like they’re a part of the action.

Who will be taking notes, for example?

Who is in charge of the follow-up?

5. Have a specific team meeting aim in mind before you leave.

Never leave a meeting without clearly conveying your intention and verifying that your meeting objectives were satisfied.

Everyone should walk away from a meeting knowing all there is to know on the following topics:

  • What are your plans for the future?
  • Who is responsible for each task?
  • When is each assignment due?
  • When will the next meeting be held?

Finally, keep track of your peeps after the meeting so that everyone on your team knows who is working on what and how it is developing.

And — really (bosses) — think about butting out of the meeting at the end and let your virtual team and your office team have a few minutes to chat together — without you sitting there observing.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Artem Podrez; Pexels; Thank you!

How to Make Remote Team Meetings Shorter and Better was originally published on Calendar by Hunter Meine.

Meetings Should Be Run Effectively To Be A Successful Leader

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meetings should be run effectively

Leadership is shown in a variety of ways and locations. But, the most visible day-to-day expression is frequently how leaders conduct meetings.

The criteria for leadership may not be fair and maybe unduly simple, but the fact remains that excellent leaders conduct good meetings and terrible leaders have awful meetings. Period. It all boils down to who controls your schedule?

While they are not the same, leadership and management are strongly related. Meetings tend to be more about control than leadership, but management and leadership are tightly correlated. Both jobs are complicated and include much more than just gatherings, to be sure.

Most of a leader’s responsibilities occur behind closed doors, away from the confines of a conference room. So when asked whether a manager is an effective leader, it’s not unusual for the reply to take a few moments. But do you consider how that individual conducts meetings in the first place?

Meeting Leader and the Questions to Ask in Advance

Is the meeting leader someone who can organize a productive and efficient meeting? Are they able to keep a meeting interesting? Are the appropriate individuals in attendance? Do folks feel like they have a voice in the meeting? Do they take part in the game? Are you able to complete the agenda? Are you respecting the time of attendees? Is the meeting scheduled to begin and conclude on time? Is the group capable of generating ground-breaking concepts? Did you consider a healthy exchange of ideas and debate? Can the group come to terms with the leader’s efforts and reach a consensus? Is action taken, or are choices made due to the discussion?

The higher one’s position in an organizational structure, the more people are likely to add the meeting to their schedule. So, for example, someone working in the mailroom often has fewer meetings than a mid-level manager. But the CEO, on the other hand, will have more meeting needs than executives higher in the organizational hierarchy. It is what leadership sometimes refers to as their pound of flesh.

Indeed, according to some estimates, managers and executives spend anywhere from a quarter to a half of their time in meetings. Moreover, even at meetings, they are absent from other arrangements because they have been double- or triple-done

Is there an excessive number of meetings taking place inside organizations? Is it possible to limit the number of meetings? Should individuals attend fewer meetings than they now do? Yes, this is true virtually universally across all industries.

There will, however, be meetings as long as organizations can’t find ways to opt-out of them. And they will be led by managers and leaders who employees will evaluate based on how well they conduct themselves in meetings — or let’s get real — the “meeting evaluation” is really about how much power or authority that leader has over the employee.

More Productive Meetings

So, do you advocate for more productive meetings or more excellent skills? The most straightforward argument is to add up the number of hours spent — or squandered for any given task. And, depending on the situation — how much time is spent in meetings and multiply that total by the hourly cost per employee.

Adding together all of these figures always gives astonishing results. Each company may squander millions of dollars each company, and maybe billions of dollars are spent in aggregate. To no one’s surprise, unproductive meetings are one of the most significant sources of time, money, and productivity loss inside businesses. Furthermore, a less apparent but possibly essential indicator to consider is the decline in morale resulting from attending poor meeting sessions.

Although the loss or decline in morale is somewhat perplexing, new managers (let alone experienced ones) receive little training on conducting good meetings. To be sure, this is a symptom of a bigger problem. Leaders promote individuals into new positions without obtaining enough training for the new work in question.

If managers are fortunate enough to get a short training session on the necessity of drafting agendas, that would be lucky. And that’s all; now go out into the world and manage your team, and best of luck.

Significance of Leader Training to Conduct Meetings

Consider the enormous significance of meetings. In terms of time, money, and morale, a close look is warranted, especially when considering the beneficial impact that even basic training can have on employees and leaders. Indeed, businesses should prioritize teaching managers effective meeting management techniques.

What are the long-term benefits of managers being responsible for leading meetings for hours weekly, year after year? What if each event is 30 or 50 percent less productive than the last? That high percentage may seem like negative thinking — but consider how many managers are out there without formal training.

Various other skills are essential to other professions, and learning to conduct meetings and bring value to the table is a learned skill. Up-skilling for this job saves time, effort, and money. Considering that bookkeeping and code writing are carefully cultivated and developed through many years of education and training, you can see it makes more sense that managers shouldn’t be left to fend for themselves. This is true with all critical aspects of their jobs, including meetings.

As for managers, whether new or with experience, if your firm does not train for meeting skills, your company’s investment in top management and leader may not return the benefits you are hoping for.

Image Credit: Elevate Digital; Pexels; Thanks!

Meetings Should Be Run Effectively To Be A Successful Leader was originally published on Calendar by Hunter Meine.

A Meeting Checklist Helps You Decide if a Session is Needed

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meeting checklist

If you must have a meeting and it only needs to be about ten minutes, don’t get everyone together — utilize video conferencing rather than meeting in person or voice alone. In this way, your on-site employees and the remote team can quickly get the information needed in a timely manner.

More than half of on-site employees aspire to work remotely in the future, so you may as well practice this way of meeting now. Video conferencing reduces meeting time, enhances productivity, and fosters employee relationships. It’s a well-known fact that on-site or off-site — unproductive meetings tend to lead to disengaged personnel.

To prevent a slash to your team’s productivity — utilize this checklist to assess the necessity of any meeting (maybe a quick email will work just fine). Here are a few guidelines.

Checklist for Meetings

  • Is the issue urgent?
  • Are you searching for dialogue or deliverables?
  • Who is the designated accountable person for my task?
  • How many ideas do I need assistance brainstorming?
  • Are we meeting to discuss a new concept or project?
  • What is my optimal outcome?

How frequently do we require status updates if this is a reoccurring meeting?

  • Is there time to prepare?
  • Is everyone I’m inviting required?
  • What is each person’s function in this meeting?
  • Can we meet through video call?
  • How long should we meet?
  • Is the plan clear?
  • Is the conference room AV ready?
  • Do we need this meeting now, or can it wait?

If you’re unsure, check this list before sending out calendar invitations.

1. Is the issue urgent?

This is the first question to ask yourself. If you need to communicate, quickly consider Slack or Microsoft Teams. You can brief critical decision-makers and leaders and determine if you need to meet at all, or whether other team members should be consulted first.

In short, if you have an urgent problem that demands feedback from other team members, you’ll need to meet. But make sure you alert others quickly.

2. Do I want a dialogue or deliverables?

Before sending out calendar invites, think about the sort of meeting you want to have. As hybrid work becomes the norm, more distant employees may wish to meet in person. Meetings lower remote employees’ productivity by 1.8 times more than on-site workers, so be mindful of other schedules. Also, be aware of your remote employees’ time so they can attend on-site if needed. Last-minute meetings tend to leave your remote employees out or unprepared.

If you want your core team to share ideas, you’ll need to convene a meeting.

A meeting may not be necessary if you only need to collaborate on a project or examine other team members’ work. Remind the team of deadlines and ask for comments or contributions to shared team papers instead. Google Drive and Dropbox Paper are valuable platforms for receiving team input and modifications. Instead of scheduling a meeting, use emails or instant messages to remind people.

If tasks can be completed offline — do it. You may then meet in person or over a video to discuss the project’s progress at a later date with new ideas.

3. Who is the designated accountable person for my task?

Before arranging the meeting, ask yourself this question. If you’re in charge of a project, prepare a list of requirements before meeting with your team. Once you’ve finished your list, book your meeting.

You shouldn’t be planning the meeting unless you are the accountable person. Instead, contact the project manager to assist with any deliverables.

4. How many ideas do I need assistance brainstorming?

Having other minds in the room is always more enticing when brainstorming for a project. A meeting isn’t always required merely because you want assistance creating fresh ideas.

Save brainstorming sessions for when you need a lot of feedback from others before starting a project. Hold a virtual brainstorm for tiny ideas like blog post names or social media themes. Create a shared document and invite team members to contribute.

It’s worth holding a meeting or conference to discuss large-scale campaigns or initiatives.

5. Are we meeting to discuss a new concept or project?

Project kickoff conferences are vital to the collaborative process. It’s critical to set aside time to discuss roles, objectives, and timelines required by the group to launch a program.

Try alternating check-ins with meetings and virtual cooperation if the project has already begun.

Instead of a weekly status report meeting, try bi-monthly status reports with virtual stand-ups through Slack or email.

6. How frequently do we require progress updates if this is a recurrent meeting?

If you’re planning a recurrent meeting, consider adding virtual aspects. For example, host a weekly status update over Slack to save time if you require a weekly status update.

7. Is there enough time to prepare?

A productive meeting requires preparation. Preparation for specific endeavors, like brainstorming, is minimal. Recurring sessions generally need additional planning.

Once you know the conference type, you may assess your team’s availability and choose a date. Just because you’re ready doesn’t guarantee your colleagues are prepared with their work at the same time. Everyone should have their tasks complete by the slated dates — and your weekly update should that progress. You will want to announce larger tasks a day ahead of time so that everyone can prepare.

Check team members’ calendars to see whether they’re available. Finally, ask your team how they can prevent missing events. Once they affirm, you’re ready to go on.

8. Do I need to invite everyone?

Jeff Bezos and most business executives believe that the most productive sessions include eight people and the two pizza rule. Your invitees may invite additional team members but limit the core group to avoid unnecessary conversation.

9. What is each person’s function in this meeting?

Once you’ve decided who to invite, it’s essential to know what each individual can contribute to the table. If the meeting needs specific data or insights, appoint a suitable participant to bring it. Again, you’ll save time by concentrating on the current debate and not waiting for others to find information.

Assign jobs like facilitator or note-taker ahead of time. You’ll learn to manage your time better and see ahead.

10. Can the meeting be done through video call?

In many circumstances, the answer is “yes.” Video conferences allow distant participants to join in on the discussion and record for those who couldn’t attend. In addition, video conference sessions are quicker than audio-only meetings, making them more productive and inclusive.

11. When shall we meet again?

When scheduling conferences, consider others’ time. Most meetings shouldn’t last longer than about 30 minutes. If you’re planning a lengthy schedule, consider booking an hour-long meeting. First, however, you should review your plan to see how long these talks will take.

Set the session timer for 30 minutes and only 45 or 60 minutes if the agenda items are closely connected. Longer meetings can cover a wide range of duties, which may confuse attendees. Better to have one topic or a better checklist for longer meetings.

It’s preferable to schedule two shorter meetings than one big one. Remember to use our checklist before arranging the second meeting.

12. Is the plan clear?

Nothing is worse than an unprepared leader. Agendas provided in advance help attendees prepare constructive contributions. Making a plan also helps you clarify your ideas regarding the project.

13. Is the conference room A/V ready?

Last but not least, ensure the conference place is ready to go. Use our AV checklist to ensure the room you’re using is ready for video conference immediately. Fifty-nine percent of remote employees say IT difficulties hinder meetings. Yet, remote employees depend on these technologies to properly join the team.

More efficient sessions save time and money. Meetings in the last year cost U.S. businesses $37 billion. You don’t want your business to add extra dollars to this tally for your annual conference expenses. Find out more about meeting costs and the most OK video conferencing camera for your conference location. So clear your calendar.

Image Credit: Christina Morillo; Pexels; Thank you!

Meeting Checklist Helps You Decide if a Session is Needed was originally published on Calendar by Hunter Meine.

How to Schedule Remote and Office Work

By | Scheduling | No Comments
office working

Many of us have become used to working in hybrid work environments– whether it be in-office work or remote work– and also balancing personal life. Companies are focused on returning employees to work and many have worked through the challenges of the remote “era.”

Some companies have taken an approach of “okay, we went easy on you during covid — but now it’s time to get back to the office.” After the epidemic, just 46% of firms would accept remote work. Others have returned to the office or embraced a hybrid paradigm that allows remote and in-office work.

Companies and employees know how to work from the office and everyone learned how to shift and work remotely during the pandemic — but may still struggle with the hybrid approach and there’s no need to worry. Just learn how to do the hybrid work better.

Obtain the best of both worlds and utilize the hybrid work option

Desire the convenience of working remotely with the benefits of visiting your coworkers for the best results.

How to explain your option of a mixed schedule

For a hybrid work model to function for your organization and workers, it must be planned and purposeful.

Begin by choosing a model that fits your business. You may not get it right at first but choose one. The cohort schedule is arguably the simplest. You can build on this schedule after you know what works for you and your company.

Don’t apply a remote and office work hybrid schedule randomly

Introduce a one-day policy or a WFH policy. You may tweak and develop your model over time. It’s also wise to test your hybrid model on a small group of individuals before rolling it out to the whole company.

Record your work habits and that of your team. You may think of it as your company’s hybrid work manifesto. For example, is it simpler to brief everyone in writing, over Slack, or in a once-a-week, face-to-face meeting over Zoom< How will you handle something like onboarding new personnel?

Finally, choose the tools you will use to manage your varied work schedule. Therefore, apart from communication platforms (like Slack), you’ll need project management and reporting tools to guarantee everyone is on the same page.

Scheduling Remote Workers, Hybrid Employees, and Office Work Best Practices

If you’re ready to start using hybrid work in your workplace, some helpful habits, tools, and strategies are everywhere for you to take advantage of. You’ll want to manage hybrid work gaps — from policies to documentation, continuing education, and the specific tools you will all use consistently.

Here are a few notable areas to check for your hybrid employees.

1. Define KPIs

KPIs are your key performance indicators and the best way to see your staff’s effectiveness. For example, sales calls, articles created, and support tickets resolved will be some of your KPIs from the past that will still be relevant.

2. Adequate tools — still a must

Using platforms like Slack or Zoom to interact with your team is easy. Starting with Google Workspace is an excellent start, but it has limits. The best technologies allow your employees to operate productively and collaboratively from home. Yes, you may have to kiss a few frogs (as they say), but ask for suggestions from your team. And maybe the communication method you’ve always used with remote issues is fine. But check it out.

3. Set up schedules (and stick to them)

If you use a cohort or staggered schedule, have everything in writing and it to your online team calendar. However, understand that your staff will know exactly when and where they will be working — so ask them. As a manager, set an example — let your team know where you are and ensure that you keep to your timetable, or let someone know.

4. Decide how and when to communicate

Many hybrid and remote businesses use asynchronous communication, where workers respond to contacts when they are available. This is only one form of communication, so ensure there is a document where everything is written down and employees can refer back to it.

Determine the appropriate and type of communication for your requirements. You can use Zoom for customer-facing conversations and Slack for internal business calls. You can also send emails or put messages in your project management application.

Avoidable errors in your remote schedules and office work requirements

Rethinking your workplace has its own set of issues. Here are some frequent pitfalls to avoid while implementing or improving a remote-hybrid model.

Schedules may boost productivity, cooperation, and teamwork even while working out the issues associated with such implementations.

1. Not everyone follows the same rules — big rule breaker

When creating a hybrid schedule, one rule must apply to everybody.

It’s disheartening to work in an office 3–5 days a week while senior management works remotely full time. Therefore, all workers must follow the same rules to maintain a fair game where everyone wins.

2. Using outdated productivity tracking techniques

Monitoring employee productivity via invasive time-tracking or screen-recording equipment is obsolete. Understand that your employees will not only feel betrayed by your invasive behavior — but over-monitoring will hamper their productivity and career advancement.

3. Forgetting it — a huge error

Your model’s effectiveness requires constant innovation in hybrid methods and procedures. Include and fairly treat all members of your team. Monitor their reactions to the new structure. Your workers should not feel unjustly treated or that you favor a particular team. Create a timetable that meets each employee’s demands.

4. Offering possibilities based on hybrid workplace presence

Depending on how your employees live, some individuals can afford to be more present at work. Others, like parents or caregivers, cannot come as frequently. Therefore, as long as everyone does their job effectively and on schedule, everyone should develop their own career path. Never penalize individuals because they cannot be in the workplace more since this defeats the objective of a hybrid model and timetable.

5. Managing schedules

Companies let managers lead the way when experimenting with flexible work options. Many of them forced their staff into the workplace for no understandable reason and the timetable disappointed these employees.

If you have just implemented a hybrid model — don’t micromanage your staff. Micromanaging from a company or employer  can be so difficult that employees will resign. Make your company rules and follow them. And use scheduling apps whenever possible.

6. Breaking destructive behaviors with no information

Breaking destructive behaviors requires patience. But if you use such tools with your staff the hybrid schedules will begin to work well for you. Don’t make the mistake of just replacing workers who want to try a hybrid schedule.

Conclusion

You’ll have the temptation to resume office meetings if you partly enable staff to work from home. It’s crucial to include everyone, including those who still work remotely.

But seriously — squelch your fist-in-hand tendencies to keep control of everything in your company and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much more productivity you see — along with heightened well-being in your team.

Image credit: Andrea Piacquadio; Pexels; Thanks!

How to Schedule Remote and Office Work was originally published on Calendar by .

When Time Management Can’t Help

By | Time Management | No Comments
When Time Management Can't Help

The concept of time management is often misunderstood and generally unsuccessful in minimizing overload and stress. Although the emphasis on efficiency is admirable — true overload is self-defeating and futile.

Initiate clear time guidelines for selecting what types of activities you won’t do, and develop processes like establishing a day when managers conduct no meetings. There is a zen to taming time, not confronting it.

Remember, there is no such thing as time in the metaverse.

The persistent sensation that there is never enough time causes much stress. We do need to learn time management to tame and manage our time. We aim to convert hour-long sessions into half-hour sprints or schedule more minor activities to reduce wasted time.

But we want to use time management as a stress reducer — not an anxiety producer. As we improve our efficiency, we may add more duties and begin to feel a more significant strain. Attack the core causes of worldly stressors: the sheer amount of work, choices, and diversions.

But time management should be used to reduce stress by freeing up time to take care of yourself. Maybe get to the gym, take a walk or have a massage. Think time management for freedom — not time management as a whip.

Time Management’s Trap

The shift to remote work after the Covid-19 epidemic created a fascinating natural experiment illustrating the time management problem. Working from home saves time (commuting and business travel), and approximately half of remote employees say they are more productive.

A study by Atlassian found that self-reported time savings and productivity increases are ineffective. The average workday has grown by 30 minutes worldwide — the reverse of results from individuals spending their time more efficiently. Complicating matters, the extra 30 minutes of work have mostly come at the price of evening leisure time.

Time management assures us that we can easily accommodate all of our tasks by being more efficient. But, like digging a hole at the beach, time management requires a lot of water to fill it. An hour on your schedule is like a signal flare proclaiming your ability to take on another project or position. So keep thinking about your ability to now claim the freedom to take care of yourself.

Time management has never been useless—productivity matters. But in a society plagued by burnout, we need techniques to reduce the anxiety producers rather than accommodate the volume.

You will want these three options to escape the trap.

1. Reduce task volume

“I’ll handle the budget update for next week’s meeting,” “I’ll pick up something for supper on the way home,” and so on.

As soon as you agree to take on an extra task — the pressure to deliver starts. Any agreement to be broken or renegotiated adds stress and guilt to the situation. The way you hold the line depends on whether your to-do list grows from assigned duties. Or does it grow things you choose to take on?

Prioritize tasks instead of time. When a supervisor asks you to accomplish something, answering with “I don’t have time for that” may seem overly abrupt. Instead, ask, “Where should I prioritize this task versus x, y, and z?” Answering in this manner achieves two goals. In the first place — this gives your superior a glimpse of what you’re working on — and sometimes lets you off the hook. Nevertheless — they set the priority, not you.

2. Reframe the dialogue from a binary option to a collaborative debate

If you want to add tasks, calendar-block first. We typically overestimate our capabilities, leading to over-exertion. Our calendars show some daylight, so we believe, “I can certainly do this by Friday.”

Then comes Friday, and we have to renegotiate.

Best advice — get your self-care actions and family obligation on your Calendar first. If others are synced to your Calendar, and you don’t want them to see your plans, frame the verbiage differently.

My weekly massage appointment says, “On point meeting with Sarah H.” I do combine the massage time with my lunch hour and pound a boiled egg down on the drive over. The point is, we’re not trying to get out of our intense, crowded, stressful work — we come back refreshed and work harder and faster. Putting in time for yourself makes it so that you don’t resent the extra half hour, hour, or longer you stay after work.

The issue is that your Calendar typically only displays synchronous work (tasks you compete with others simultaneously). Then you include meetings, phone calls, etc. Your to-dos are a list of agreements with others for asynchronous labor (tasks you do alone, not in real-time with others).

The answer? Merge your Calendar and to-do list by scheduling time for each task. Getting the complete picture of your obligations (and self-care) allows you to assess your capabilities before taking on more.

3. Decide on principles

We’ve spent the last couple of years making decisions: Do I send my kids to school? Can I visit them? Is it safe to go to work? Constantly facing difficult decisions with limited information can lead to cognitive overload. The overthinking and unknowns in cognitive overload are where mental work demands outpace our coping ability. Cognitive overload raises the chance of mistakes and leads to feelings of overwhelm.

You might start by replacing choices with absolute principles. For example, the science of weight loss management teaches us that “I won’t eat after 7 p.m.” is more successful than “I won’t nibble after 7 p.m.”

Can I have this cup of yogurt? How about some fruit?

The ultimate guideline of no eating after 7 p.m. closes the door. The choices vanish — the result is less overload.

Author and podcaster Tim Ferriss calls the overload scenario “finding the one option that eliminates 100 decision.” Ferriss set a goal of not reading any new books in 2020 — he would finish the ones he’d started. Since writers and their publicists bombarded him with dozens of new or impending books every week, this blanket principle relieved him of hundreds of book-by-book choices.

Steve Jobs famously wore the same thing (a black t-shirt and jeans) every day to avoid morning clothing selection weariness. Jon Mackey is a managing director of a Canadian business. He built his establishment with “No meetings on Fridays.” After failing to safeguard time for serious work by choosing which meetings to accept or refuse, Jon Mackey devised a weekly concentration day.

4. Minimize Distractions with Structure Not Will

Diversions prevent us from completing activities and making critical judgments. Interruptions contribute to overwhelming by preventing us from feeling like we are making headway against the causes of the pressure.

Trying to ignore digital platforms with fortitude puts you up against an army of our generation’s brightest brains. These most brilliant brains focus on exploiting what Facebook founder Sean Parker calls “vulnerabilities in human psychology” to grab your attention. When it comes to distraction, structure always wins.

Several company executives set aside time throughout the day to switch off their laptop’s Wi-Fi to concentrate. Others have scheduled 30-minute meetings for their staff to ask questions and obtain guidance. Then fewer individuals ask, “Can I grab you for five minutes?”

Cathy Engelbert, past Deloitte CEO, banned back-to-back conferences. So instead, it was a 10-minute break for SMORs or tiny minutes of reflection. This fast recovery break meant she wasn’t distracted by the following meeting or carrying over the previous meeting’s agenda.

Conclusion

The answer isn’t to become more efficient and just accept more work, choices, and diversions. Instead, reduce your workload, make choices based on principles, and create a structure to prevent distractions.

Have your new mantra be, Simplify, and make your time management choices reflect a renewed determination to take care of yourself, your loved ones, and your life.

When Time Management Can’t Help was originally published on Calendar by Hunter Meine.

Image Credit: Tara Winstead; Pexels; Thank you!

Ways to Have Some Fun While in Virtual Meetings

By | Appointment | No Comments
Ways to Have Fun Virtual Meetings

Virtual meetings have become a weekly or even daily affair for many professionals as firms have transitioned to entirely or partly remote work arrangements in the past several years. These hybrid virtual meetings bother some employees, but you may as well lighten up and have some fun. You can remain professional while you have fun in a virtual meeting.

While virtual meetings are a crucial method to keep communication lines open, they may be difficult for people who are not used to appearing and speaking on video. Furthermore, everything from technical difficulties to the increasing problem of “reading the room” can lead to stiffness and formality in proceedings — making it difficult to inject the personal interactions and “little bit of fun” that make in-person meetings so beneficial for relationship-building.

Remote meetings can be made less formal and more engaging for attendees using the following components. The most essential element of our meetings is not to get to business and not waste time — so keep that fact in mind as you plan to lighten the mood of virtual meetings. Try a few different variations of the themes below and find the best fit for your team.

1. Begin with some one-on-one conversation.

One firm decided to make it a practice to begin each meeting with some personal banter — meaning, nothing work-related. Not having continual work topics at the beginning of the meetings helps employees unwind, share an intriguing anecdote or two, and maybe even chuckle. Casual conversation is stimulating and refreshing and it helps attendees to slip in a few minutes of humanity before getting down to business. Touching base as humans, and not simply coworkers will bring warmth to virtual meetings.

2. Post photographs that are irrelevant to your job.

Request that team members contribute a non-work-related picture. Whether it’s a photo of a pastime, family, or pet, it helps team members to see another side of their colleagues’ personalities. Indeed, it may help each person relate to and understand each other better. Showing a photo will also create a comfortable environment for team members to be open and honest since they choose what to share. Transparency, in turn, aids in the development of connections.

When you first start showing photos you will notice that are bland. With the continual practice of showing photos, your employees will warm up to you and each other, and you will notice a change in the nature of the photos.

3. Show off your pets.

Do you have a lot of pet owners in your workplace? When you host a meeting in the future, start by having everyone introduce their furry companions. It’s a terrific way to bond with your team, and it always results in a grin. We’ve always had the ability to bring our pets to work in the office — and a photo of the furry friends brings back these memories and good times.

4. Pose a virtual meeting “connection inquiry.”

Before the meeting, connect with individuals by asking “connection questions” that bring everyone together. Ask everyone to tell a story around a common theme (give them a time limit). People like talking about themselves and sharing information about themselves.

5. Honor birthdays.

One office manager noted, “We celebrate one other’s birthdays by sending something special (usually food-related) on that day or week of the birthday — and having a sing-a-long song. It is consistently well-received. We spend the remainder of the catch-up time talking about things other than work, which is refreshing and vital.                             

After your sing-along and chat, you can dive into work information and topics.

6. Experiment with different backgrounds.

Getting creative with your video backdrop is one way to add extra fun and boost relationship-building in virtual meetings. A new subject for each meeting, such as a favorite location visited or a bucket list trip destination may help break up the monotony of the day. Indeed, act as a meeting icebreaker, and allow for more in-depth relationships among team members. These change-ups don’t have to take a ton of time.

7. Play around with virtual reality.

Another office manager said, “We experimented with virtual reality, and the results were unexpected. We had meetings, played games, and even attended Virtual Burning Man as a group. The experiences of being in the same place are pretty effective in forming relationships. This is subconscious and highly ancient: but it means we belong to the same tribe.”

8. Hold virtual meetings coffee and lunch get-togethers.

Virtual coffee or lunch meetings with two to four team members may benefit relationship development. Center the plan on connecting rather than addressing work matters. These ties often result in better professional partnerships. Do you allow anyone on your team to do virtual meetings invites? For casual get-togethers — consider allowing others on the team to be the host.

9. Include a ‘human’ aspect.

Adding a “human” factor to virtual meetings is one approach to make them more enjoyable. You can hold video meetings at workers’ homes. Moreover, this is something that is physically left behind while working from the office. Use meetings hosted at individual team member homes to your advantage by asking “about me” questions. Or you could engage in scavenger hunts. Indeed come up with other innovative methods to engage people. It’s the small things that count.

10. Hold competitions and happy hours.

Make meetings more enjoyable by hosting virtual happy hours or competitions, such as “Best Zoom Background” or “Best Home Office.” The distinction between home and workplace has blurred, so have fun with it. During Zoom meetings, we get to meet family members and pets. We’ve moved the office into the houses where we live. Working connections have grown more casual as a result of this new phenomenon. On a personal level, people have reported that they are feeling more connected.

11. Assign various team members to serve as virtual meeting hosts.

Building camaraderie isn’t intricate in theory, but it does need work. Try having various members of your team host. This encourages involvement and introduces fresh ideas to the discussion. Utilize internet games on occasion. Encourage members to give each other informal acknowledgment at the start or finish of each meeting. Most importantly, don’t take anything too seriously. It’s simply a gathering. And sometimes, as a leader — you should let your team have meetings without you.

12. Allow everyone a turn in the spotlight.

When there are a lot of workers in the virtual meetings, strive to close the sessions with activities that give each employee a chance to shine. One amusing example is ending meetings with newborn images of staff. Indeed, asking everyone to vote on who that baby grew up to be.

Image Credit: Ivan Samkov; Pexels; Thank you!

Ways to Have Some Fun While in Virtual Meetings was originally published on Calendar by Hunter Meine.

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