05 Mar
Engaging Employees

Five Virtual Meeting Closing Tips – Article 3 of 3

Engaging Employees Series – Five Virtual Meeting Closing Tips

By: Marcy Fortnow – Founder of Engaging Play

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcyfortnow/

Date: Originally Published – May 2020

 

We all know that meeting management is critical, but now that we are virtual, it is even more so. If you are a leader, a meeting facilitator, or someone who influences team communication, improving your meeting skills is of paramount importance in today’s virtually connecting world. Gathering in virtual meeting rooms or on conference calls are opportunities for your team to communicate, connect, engage, share information, collaborate, and be productive together.

I am convinced that poorly managed meetings are why meetings in general have such a bad reputation. Well conducted meetings can lead to enhanced communication and greater buy-in and consensus. Many meetings fail to achieve objectives because the person running the meeting doesn’t plan the end properly. The way you close a meeting is the missing link between meetings that go nowhere and meetings with impact. Without a well-planned ending, things can be left unsaid, unchallenged, lack clarity, and remain uncommitted.

I have discussed the importance of meeting openers, so now I must share 5 tips for closing your meeting well. Closing your meeting properly will help your communication be clear, your projects move forward, and your meeting time be worthwhile. A good closing in this critical time will help your people to feel connected, positive, and accomplished. Failure to close a meeting properly can leave things left unsaid, action items not taken, and result in low commitment, low accountability, and poor results.

The way you close a meeting is the missing link between meetings that go nowhere and meetings with impact. Try these 5 closing tips to bring better structure to your virtual meetings:

  1. Have your meeting end process and time listed on the agenda. If your meeting just ends at the last discussion item, there is no expectation and opportunity to wrap up the topic. Putting the end on the agenda allows any last comments to be made and voices to be heard.
  2. Review and note next steps and agreements. This review process can be done after each topic and should also be done at the completion of the whole meeting. Robert C. Pozen, author of Extreme Productivity, suggests meeting leaders ask participants three questions:
    1. What do we see as the next steps?
    2. Who should take responsibility for them?
    3. What should the time frame be?
  3. Implement a “closing round” which allows participants 30 seconds to say any insights or issues they have from the meeting. A closing round gives everyone the opportunity to have a last word so that nothing festers or is not acknowledged. A closing round allows everyone to get anything unsaid off their chest. This is the best way to eliminate the meeting after the meeting that creates dissension.
  4. Acknowledge participants and contributions. People who participate and contribute are more engaged, so let them know that their opinions and involvement are valued. Praise people who have contributed in the meeting, to the project, and to the organization. Be sure to include any celebrations and accomplishments.
  5. End on time! One of the worst practices in meetings is not respecting the announced ending time. Frequently, this is due to the meeting starting late, or the meeting chair letting some team members ramble on or go off topic. Ending on time shows respect for the agenda, the meeting members, and their time.

Any meeting can be considered incomplete unless it is wrapped up in a thoughtful, deliberate way. Try these 5 tips for ending your next meeting and let me know in the how it goes. If you have additional tips to contribute around ending virtual meetings, please share in the comments below.

If you would like to see me discuss this in a video, look here.

For more facilitation support, contact me, Marcy Fortnow, at EngagingPlay.com.

26 Feb
Engaging Employees

Five Ways to Build Community – Article 2 of 3

Engaging Employees Series – Five Actions to Build Community

By: Marcy Fortnow – Founder of Engaging Play

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcyfortnow/

Date: Originally Published – April 2020

 

It is hard to believe, many of us are still working virtually! Some of us, certainly the people I am connecting with, my friends, colleagues, and clients, are feeling lost and disconnected. Some are struggling with low motivation and low energy. All of us are missing that sense of community that our work place world provided, and it can be lonely.

Creating community is so important now. It is not “too much” and your efforts will be appreciated. As Helen Keller said, “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much”. Great Leaders create community for others.

To see this discussion in video, check here.

Here are five ideas that create community in your organization.

  1. Virtual lunch breaks or happy hour – Lots of organizations are implementing these and I am hearing participants are having fun! People need a replacement for gathering spots like the lunch room or the coffee station. Create this opportunity for your team to gather together remotely.
  2. Asynchronous socializing – There is still a need for friendly non-work related conversation and connection. Consider using messaging tools, Slack, or even text and email for personal connection. Encourage individuals, small groups, and departments to meet up in this way.
  3. Virtual Clubs – Foster community and build stronger relationships by creating clubs that speak to people’s interests. Form book clubs, movie discussion groups, or music channels for people to develop deeper connections.
  4. Stay Active together – Look for ways to keep your community active and supportive at the same time. Create a step challenge or find a low cost subscription for your team to a yoga or exercise studio for classes. Have participants register their progress on your company’s google drive so they can share their successes.
  5. Make time for Celebrations – Recognition and celebrations are more important than ever. Celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and work accomplishments as a team. Successes, milestones, and celebrations should be called out and applauded in your community!

Intentionally creating and maintaining a healthy community will help keep your employees connected, engaged, and more motivated. You can implement any or all of these ideas with your distributed team and build a more positive culture.

If you would like more support around building better connected engaged teams, scroll down and fill in the contact form below and I will be in touch! Looking forward to supporting you!

19 Feb
Engaging Employees

Five Actions to Build Trust – Article 1 of 3

Engaging Employees Series – Five Actions to Build Trust

By: Marcy Fortnow – Founder of Engaging Play

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcyfortnow/

Date: Originally Published – June 2020

Trust is on the decline in every part of our society. Even before the Novel Corona Virus came along, trust in government, trust in organizational leadership, and trust in the media, were dropping. In a research study done in 2018 by the Grossman Group, trust in our society had fallen by 43%. With recent developments such as Covid-19, illuminated racial justice inequities, false information from government agencies and political leaders, and economic disruption, I imagine trust has fallen even further.

As a leader in your organization, it is imperative that your employees trust you. Trust is a fundamental element, especially in times of change. Lack of trust in a manager results in employee dissatisfaction, low motivation and morale, and reduced productivity. If you would like to view the video on this, click here.

I have a colleague who, as the business owner, had to lay off a member of her team. The firing understandably upset the entire staff. In another instance, a client who was implementing a reorganization in her firm, was rightly concerned that everyone involved was feeling unsettled and unsure of their future. In both cases, failure to build and maintain trust in their leadership affects their employee’s loyalty, morale, and the quality and productivity of work. Low trust will also impact staff member’s engagement, team collaboration, and inhibit future innovation.

Here are 5 things leaders can do to build trust with their employees:

  1. Be ready to intentionally work on building trust because it takes effort. Trust is not something that happens quickly or in one shot. Trust is built over repeated consistent behavior. A commitment to building trust is one of the best commitments a leader can make. Trust is the foundation of all positive interpersonal traits.
  2. Be honest, open, and transparent. Always tell the truth even when the truth isn’t pretty. Be conscious to communicate what is real and true, whether people want to hear it or not. Communication needs to be timely, relevant, and focused on what the employee needs to know and why. Honesty and transparency can sometimes be challenging, but in the end, it will build trust.
  3. Listen. A good listener is more trustworthy because they have taken the time to understand another’s perspective. Be supportive and giving and recognize that leadership is about others, it’s not about you.
  4. Be consistent with your actions and your communication. Set a consistent schedule for team and 1 on 1 meetings and keep them. There is nothing more troubling to an employee than when their manager cancels a meeting with them. Lots of leaders fell off the consistency wagon when the virus hit, but that is exactly when they needed to be communicating and exhibiting consistency even more. Consistent behavior builds trust.
  5. Reinforce the culture of your organization. Especially now, make every effort to demonstrate the traits you want to see in your people. If you expect your team to hit their deadlines, then you need to hit yours. If collaboration is a wanted part of your culture, then build opportunities for people to collaborate and positively reinforce cooperative efforts. This is not the time to let your culture go unchecked, so take an active role in making positive culture happen. Help to build relationships and community among your team members. Reinforce respect and accountability within the group.

Building trust as a leader takes focus and effort, but the rewards are great. Trust forms the basis of all relationships and so improving trust can positively impact morale, productivity, decision making, and teamwork. Trust in leadership will allow an employee’s value to shine through to the organization. Each environment is unique, so if you would like to learn more about building trust and encouraging trust in your team, contact me, Marcy Fortnow at engagingplay.com for a consultation.