NFIB

Huddle Up -- Staff Meetings Can be Fun (and Useful)
03/ 28/ 2002


How long has it been since you had a staff meeting? Does your entire staff meet each week? Once a month?

Depending on your business, you may not need to schedule a regular staff meeting, but don't let them stretch out too far -- you and your staff can learn valuable things in well-crafted, well-timed staff meetings.

Mention the words "staff meeting" and most people have similar images: a group of people sitting around a conference table with an agenda in hand, running through a list of topics that no one is very interested in. Stale doughnuts. People jockeying for new positions in the office politics race.

Too many meetings like that have given many of us a bad taste for staff meetings, but done correctly, they can help your staff work better together and improve your company's operations.

When should you hold a staff meeting?

Anytime company policies change. Some things can be explained by memo, but it's almost always better to introduce a new policy in person rather than on paper. You can explain the reasons for the change and head off any dissension or misunderstanding.

When you have a new goal, client or other substantial change in direction. No matter how small your staff, there will be people who don't hear "through the grapevine." And employees feel more valued if they hear the big news from you.

When you need to update training. Retail or manufacturing operations, for instance, can end up with two distinct groups of employees: the old-timers and the new guys. A staff meeting or staff training session is a great way to bring everyone together -- from different shifts and different positions -- to share experiences and throw out new ideas.

As often as you need to keep everyone up to date on information they need to do their jobs well. Some companies need a staff meeting every week to keep different departments or employees in touch, while other businesses work tightly enough that that's not necessary. You be the judge.

What should you do and say at a staff meeting?

As little as possible while still being effective. The less time people spend in meetings (away from their jobs), the better. But don't skimp -- sometimes you need to talk through issues, or take an opportunity to recognize people for jobs well done.

With many meetings, you'll want to get your employees talking. Phrase ideas in ways designed to promote discussion ("What would happen if we did __________?" "How can we do __________ better?") without assigning blame for current problems or mandating a specific solution at first.

Get others to participate. The more people you can involve, the better, in many cases. People feel a sense of responsibility and pride for their contributions to the group.

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