{ "version": "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1", "user_comment": "This feed allows you to read the posts from this site in any feed reader that supports the JSON Feed format. To add this feed to your reader, copy the following URL -- https://www.seebtm.com/en/tag/brainstorming-en-7/feed/json/ -- and add it your reader.", "home_page_url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/tag/brainstorming-en-7/", "feed_url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/tag/brainstorming-en-7/feed/json/", "title": "SEE Business travel & meetings magazine", "description": "Magazin za oblast poslovnih putovanja i kongresnog turizma Jugoisto\u010dne Evrope", "items": [ { "id": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/how-to-make-meetings-fun-and-productive/", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/how-to-make-meetings-fun-and-productive/", "title": "How to Make Meetings Fun and Productive", "content_html": "

We should first define what a good meeting is. It is: efficient, effective, positive and fun, creative, and open to opinions. But how to turn classic meetings into those which your employees will enjoy and where the set goal will be accomplished?

\n

Another thing \u2013 a good meeting is also a short meeting. You may not believe it, but research by the American National Statistics Council shows that almost 40% of working hours are spent in meetings! And nearly 50% of employees think that too many meetings during the day are the biggest waste of time! Tips such as \u201cStart and finish a meeting in time,\u201d \u201cDevelop a meeting plan,\u201d or \u201cInvite the right people to it\u201d are good for boosting productivity but not good enough to encourage creativity, nor enough fun. Here\u2019s what some
\nof the most successful companies in different industries are doing:

\n

\"\"

\n

The meeting should start on time

\n

It\u2019s common practice that individuals late to the meeting are waited for and the meeting starts with delay. This lets them know that being late is OK. Instead, start the meeting on time, regardless of the number of attendees, and make tardiness visual. One idea is to place cups with the names of every employee in the meeting room and buy red and green marbles.

\n

Every time a person arrive son time, he/she puts a green marble in the cup, and if he/she is late, a red marble goes in. You will soon see which employees have the habit of being late, and they, too, will see their problem. And to make things even more fun, you can schedule meetings at unusual times. Say at 8:48 in the morning. For years now this has been done at TINY pulse, a company that focuses on creating the best possible ambiance in other
\ncompanies. This practice has led to all employees, as the meeting time approaches, spontaneously going to the meeting room.

\n

Start the meeting on a positive note

\n

Science has proven that the way the meeting starts determines its further course. So don\u2019t kick off with problems and complaints, but instead find a way to focus your team on positive thinking. The suggestion is to start the meeting by asking each attendee to share with the others something positive that happened since the last meeting \u2013 something they learned or something they did in the past week and are particularly proud of. While we\u2019re on this subject, every Thursday at Plum Organics, which produces baby food, meetings start with taking out coloring books and fine liners. Their director of innovation says
\nthat this process not only awakens creativity among the attendees, but positivity as well.

\n

\"\"

\n

Take breaks during the meeting

\n

A common mistake in planning meetings is \u2013 if the agenda is long \u2013 to completely eliminate breaks in order to shorten the time that the meeting takes. Every half hour, you should take a two-minute break to entertain the attendees in the meeting \u2013 plan for a group stretching
\nor let everyone tell a joke or give a riddle to the group. This will make the rest of the meeting
\neasier and more productive. If you sit for long stretches of time, you will not only get stiff and exhaust your body \u2013 the same thing will happen to your brain. You can plan a stretching session at the beginning of every meeting, or during the two-minute break, if you see that attention is fading. After stretching, you will feel refreshed, rested, as well as more creative,
\nwhich is necessary for any meeting.

\n

Take \u201csilent breaks\u201d

\n

The point of the meeting is not just to talk, it also serves to come up with ideas, plans, problem solutions, as well as new decisions. A two-minute break can help the attendees think, because not all people can think and speak at the same time. When presenting problems at hand, present only facts, then take a two minute break, and after that discuss
\nthe solutions. Also, after making any decision, people should be given two minutes to consider how they feel about the decision.

\n

Change the meeting place

\n

Take out the traditional conference table and instead place the chairs in a circle. This will obscure the clear difference between the boss at the head of the table and the other
\nemployees; everyone will see each other better, and communication will be more open. If a lot of plans are being worked out, put all the papers on a wall, and place the chairs in a half-circle in front of it. Also, think about holding the next meeting out of the office. You can
\nsimply put the chairs from the office to the courtyard, book a table in a nearby restaurant, or plan a two-day trip outside the city. In all sincerity, employees sometimes really just need a change of the meeting place!

\n

\"\"

\n

Shorter is more productive

\n

The O3 World digital product design and development agency\u2019s offices are connected to Roombot, which synchronizes the calendars of all attendees and signals when it\u2019s time to end the meeting. Roombot controls also the lights, reducing the brightness near the end of the meeting and ensuring that all meetings end on time. Business development Company
\nJust Fearless limited the duration of its meetings to half an hour. If the meeting runs long, all chairs are removed and all attendees stand until the meeting ends. The company\u2019s CEO explains that this rule encourages everyone to make effort to not exceed the time. On the other hand, if you are at Buddytruk and the last one to speak at a meeting that runs over
\ntime, you have to do 50 push-ups, while at event management company Cvent you have to sing every time you\u2019re late.

\n

\"\"

\n

Brain teasers

\n

Another way to spark creativity at a meeting are brain teasers. These games require unconventional and lateral thinking. They can be in the form of puzzles, riddles, equations, images… At the beginning of each meeting, spend a few minutes by giving your employees a brain teaser to solve. Not only will everyone have fun and relax, but you\u2019ll find it much easier to get to the solution of the problem and new ideas. Here\u2019s an example:

\n

1. I\u2019ve never been, and I always will be. No one ever saw me, but everyone wants to see me. Who am I? (Tomorrow)
\n2. A man pushed his car into a hotel and told the hotel owner that he went bankrupt. How is that possible? (He was playing Monopoly)
\n3. A man is looking at a photo and his friend asks who is in the picture. The man answers, \u201cI have no brothers or sisters. But the father of the man in the picture is my father\u2019s son.\u201d Who\u2019s in the photo? (His son)

\n

Another fun, and at the same time useful, activity type at business meetings are icebreakers. More about them you can find here.

\n

Nevena Ilic

\n

The post How to Make Meetings Fun and Productive appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.

\n", "content_text": "We should first define what a good meeting is. It is: efficient, effective, positive and fun, creative, and open to opinions. But how to turn classic meetings into those which your employees will enjoy and where the set goal will be accomplished?\nAnother thing \u2013 a good meeting is also a short meeting. You may not believe it, but research by the American National Statistics Council shows that almost 40% of working hours are spent in meetings! And nearly 50% of employees think that too many meetings during the day are the biggest waste of time! Tips such as \u201cStart and finish a meeting in time,\u201d \u201cDevelop a meeting plan,\u201d or \u201cInvite the right people to it\u201d are good for boosting productivity but not good enough to encourage creativity, nor enough fun. Here\u2019s what some\nof the most successful companies in different industries are doing:\n\nThe meeting should start on time\nIt\u2019s common practice that individuals late to the meeting are waited for and the meeting starts with delay. This lets them know that being late is OK. Instead, start the meeting on time, regardless of the number of attendees, and make tardiness visual. One idea is to place cups with the names of every employee in the meeting room and buy red and green marbles.\nEvery time a person arrive son time, he/she puts a green marble in the cup, and if he/she is late, a red marble goes in. You will soon see which employees have the habit of being late, and they, too, will see their problem. And to make things even more fun, you can schedule meetings at unusual times. Say at 8:48 in the morning. For years now this has been done at TINY pulse, a company that focuses on creating the best possible ambiance in other\ncompanies. This practice has led to all employees, as the meeting time approaches, spontaneously going to the meeting room.\nStart the meeting on a positive note\nScience has proven that the way the meeting starts determines its further course. So don\u2019t kick off with problems and complaints, but instead find a way to focus your team on positive thinking. The suggestion is to start the meeting by asking each attendee to share with the others something positive that happened since the last meeting \u2013 something they learned or something they did in the past week and are particularly proud of. While we\u2019re on this subject, every Thursday at Plum Organics, which produces baby food, meetings start with taking out coloring books and fine liners. Their director of innovation says\nthat this process not only awakens creativity among the attendees, but positivity as well.\n\nTake breaks during the meeting\nA common mistake in planning meetings is \u2013 if the agenda is long \u2013 to completely eliminate breaks in order to shorten the time that the meeting takes. Every half hour, you should take a two-minute break to entertain the attendees in the meeting \u2013 plan for a group stretching\nor let everyone tell a joke or give a riddle to the group. This will make the rest of the meeting\neasier and more productive. If you sit for long stretches of time, you will not only get stiff and exhaust your body \u2013 the same thing will happen to your brain. You can plan a stretching session at the beginning of every meeting, or during the two-minute break, if you see that attention is fading. After stretching, you will feel refreshed, rested, as well as more creative,\nwhich is necessary for any meeting.\nTake \u201csilent breaks\u201d\nThe point of the meeting is not just to talk, it also serves to come up with ideas, plans, problem solutions, as well as new decisions. A two-minute break can help the attendees think, because not all people can think and speak at the same time. When presenting problems at hand, present only facts, then take a two minute break, and after that discuss\nthe solutions. Also, after making any decision, people should be given two minutes to consider how they feel about the decision.\nChange the meeting place\nTake out the traditional conference table and instead place the chairs in a circle. This will obscure the clear difference between the boss at the head of the table and the other\nemployees; everyone will see each other better, and communication will be more open. If a lot of plans are being worked out, put all the papers on a wall, and place the chairs in a half-circle in front of it. Also, think about holding the next meeting out of the office. You can\nsimply put the chairs from the office to the courtyard, book a table in a nearby restaurant, or plan a two-day trip outside the city. In all sincerity, employees sometimes really just need a change of the meeting place!\n\nShorter is more productive\nThe O3 World digital product design and development agency\u2019s offices are connected to Roombot, which synchronizes the calendars of all attendees and signals when it\u2019s time to end the meeting. Roombot controls also the lights, reducing the brightness near the end of the meeting and ensuring that all meetings end on time. Business development Company\nJust Fearless limited the duration of its meetings to half an hour. If the meeting runs long, all chairs are removed and all attendees stand until the meeting ends. The company\u2019s CEO explains that this rule encourages everyone to make effort to not exceed the time. On the other hand, if you are at Buddytruk and the last one to speak at a meeting that runs over\ntime, you have to do 50 push-ups, while at event management company Cvent you have to sing every time you\u2019re late.\n\nBrain teasers\nAnother way to spark creativity at a meeting are brain teasers. These games require unconventional and lateral thinking. They can be in the form of puzzles, riddles, equations, images… At the beginning of each meeting, spend a few minutes by giving your employees a brain teaser to solve. Not only will everyone have fun and relax, but you\u2019ll find it much easier to get to the solution of the problem and new ideas. Here\u2019s an example:\n1. I\u2019ve never been, and I always will be. No one ever saw me, but everyone wants to see me. Who am I? (Tomorrow)\n2. A man pushed his car into a hotel and told the hotel owner that he went bankrupt. How is that possible? (He was playing Monopoly)\n3. A man is looking at a photo and his friend asks who is in the picture. The man answers, \u201cI have no brothers or sisters. But the father of the man in the picture is my father\u2019s son.\u201d Who\u2019s in the photo? (His son)\nAnother fun, and at the same time useful, activity type at business meetings are icebreakers. More about them you can find here.\nNevena Ilic\nThe post How to Make Meetings Fun and Productive appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2018-05-03T14:53:20+02:00", "date_modified": "2018-05-03T14:53:20+02:00", "author": { "name": "Milica Novak", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/author/milicanovak/", "avatar": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/Milica-Novak.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/naslovna-42.jpg", "tags": [ "brainstorming", "business events", "creativity", "events", "meetings", "play and learn", "team meeting", "Hot topics" ] }, { "id": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/pick-the-right-format-for-your-event/", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/pick-the-right-format-for-your-event/", "title": "PICK THE RIGHT FORMAT FOR YOUR EVENT", "content_html": "

Trainings and workshops are considered the most efficient format for educational events, according to the research conducted by SEEbtm magazine in the second half of 2014.

\n

Brainstorming, as a meeting format, is also highly rated for its efficiency. The survey was participated by companies and organizations in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia.

\n

As the most efficient event formats, workshops and trainings are number one, with 45% and 25% respectively. Seminars account for 10%, while panels, B2B meetings, brainstorming and simulation make up 5% each of the respondent answers.

\n

Based on the respondent answers, as showed in the graph, we observe that the highest attendance is at\u00a0trainings and workshops, and the lowest at panels.

\n

Traditional lectures and brainstorming also have a high share, almost 70% if we look at the summary percentage of those attending these events occasionally and often.

\n

Trainings and workshops are definitely ahead in efficiency, rated by the respondents as very efficient – 90%, and efficient – 10%.

\n

There is no record of their inefficiency, with only an emphasis on importance to have high-quality lecturers, and the opinion that performance at a training or workshop is more efficient the smaller the group is.

\n

Brainstorming as an event format is also rated as highly efficient, in particular where the goal is to come up with new ideas or solutions to problems.

\n
\"Attendance
Attendance of certain event formats
\n

Panel discussions are averagely rated as partly efficient, with an emphasis on importance to have a good moderator.

\n

In the case of a panel, we observe the widest range of ratings (highly efficient (33%), efficient (20%) and partly efficient (42%), as well as a small percentage (5%) of inefficient).

\n

Obviously, experiences in panels are most variable, leading to the conclusion that there is no problem with the panel as an event format.

\n

The overall experience at a panel discussion actually depends on the moderator and panellists differing from one panel to another, therefore the most different experiences in this type of event format.

\n
\"Efficiency
Efficiency of certain event formats
\n

Traditional lectures remain deprived of the highly efficient rating.

\n

They are averagely rated as partly efficient (65%), depending on the topic and lecturer.

\n

Traditional lectures also have the highest percentage of inefficiency rating (11%), with the opinion that they are inefficient, obsolete and dull.

\n

The respondents pointed out to some other formats they find very good, as follows: working & sports meetings or educational & recreational meetings, informal gatherings of people of same professions and exchange of opinions (on an occasion), as well as targeted B2B meetings.

\n
Simulation (of negotiations, a future event, a building design, driving, etc.) is a very interactive and efficient format, given that following introductory instructions it requires the continued involvement of participants and allows the study of actual processes under experimental conditions.
\n

The conclusion is next: every meeting format has positive, but also negative sides. Some are more popular and efficient than others, but that doesn\u2019t mean that there is only one right solution.

\n

Be aware of good and potential bad sides of each format, try to prevent usually failings, know your audience well, so as meeting goals, and you will choose just the right format for your event.

\n
\n

\"research\"

\n

Miona Milic

\n

The post PICK THE RIGHT FORMAT FOR YOUR EVENT appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.

\n", "content_text": "Trainings and workshops are considered the most efficient format for educational events, according to the research conducted by SEEbtm magazine in the second half of 2014.\nBrainstorming, as a meeting format, is also highly rated for its efficiency. The survey was participated by companies and organizations in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia.\nAs the most efficient event formats, workshops and trainings are number one, with 45% and 25% respectively. Seminars account for 10%, while panels, B2B meetings, brainstorming and simulation make up 5% each of the respondent answers.\nBased on the respondent answers, as showed in the graph, we observe that the highest attendance is at\u00a0trainings and workshops, and the lowest at panels.\nTraditional lectures and brainstorming also have a high share, almost 70% if we look at the summary percentage of those attending these events occasionally and often.\nTrainings and workshops are definitely ahead in efficiency, rated by the respondents as very efficient – 90%, and efficient – 10%.\nThere is no record of their inefficiency, with only an emphasis on importance to have high-quality lecturers, and the opinion that performance at a training or workshop is more efficient the smaller the group is.\nBrainstorming as an event format is also rated as highly efficient, in particular where the goal is to come up with new ideas or solutions to problems.\nAttendance of certain event formats\nPanel discussions are averagely rated as partly efficient, with an emphasis on importance to have a good moderator.\nIn the case of a panel, we observe the widest range of ratings (highly efficient (33%), efficient (20%) and partly efficient (42%), as well as a small percentage (5%) of inefficient).\nObviously, experiences in panels are most variable, leading to the conclusion that there is no problem with the panel as an event format.\nThe overall experience at a panel discussion actually depends on the moderator and panellists differing from one panel to another, therefore the most different experiences in this type of event format.\nEfficiency of certain event formats\nTraditional lectures remain deprived of the highly efficient rating.\nThey are averagely rated as partly efficient (65%), depending on the topic and lecturer.\nTraditional lectures also have the highest percentage of inefficiency rating (11%), with the opinion that they are inefficient, obsolete and dull.\nThe respondents pointed out to some other formats they find very good, as follows: working & sports meetings or educational & recreational meetings, informal gatherings of people of same professions and exchange of opinions (on an occasion), as well as targeted B2B meetings.\nSimulation (of negotiations, a future event, a building design, driving, etc.) is a very interactive and efficient format, given that following introductory instructions it requires the continued involvement of participants and allows the study of actual processes under experimental conditions.\nThe conclusion is next: every meeting format has positive, but also negative sides. Some are more popular and efficient than others, but that doesn\u2019t mean that there is only one right solution.\nBe aware of good and potential bad sides of each format, try to prevent usually failings, know your audience well, so as meeting goals, and you will choose just the right format for your event.\n\n\nMiona Milic\nThe post PICK THE RIGHT FORMAT FOR YOUR EVENT appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2014-11-26T11:44:00+01:00", "date_modified": "2018-01-04T09:42:12+01:00", "author": { "name": "Miona Milic", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/author/miona/", "avatar": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG-20240224-WA0003-e1728981138373.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/bigstock-Group-of-Multiethnic-Busy-Peop-66058582.jpg", "tags": [ "brainstorming", "event", "event format", "panel", "pick", "trainings", "workshop", "RESEARCH", "Statistics" ] } ] }