![\"\"](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/foto-1-2.jpg\")
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:
The 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.
Start 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.
![\"\"](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/foto-2-2.jpg\")
Take 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.
Take \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.
Change 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!
![\"\"](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/foto-4-1.jpg\")
Shorter 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.
![\"\"](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/foto-3-1.jpg\")
Brain 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)
Another 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.
\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/make-brainstorming-fun/", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/make-brainstorming-fun/", "title": "Make Brainstorming Fun", "content_html": "The father of brainstorming is considered to be Alex Faickney Osborn, a creativity theorist who focused on advertising and writing. And as someone wise once said, \u201cThe best ideas for solving a problem come from the problem itself\u201d in Osborn\u2019s case, this turned out to be completely true. Namely, he was very frustrated with the inability of each employee to individually develop creative ideas for advertising campaigns. So in 1939 he started developing methods for creative problem solving \u2013 group thinking sessions \u2013 and found significant progress both in the quality and the quantity of his employees\u2019 ideas.
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/foto-1.jpg\")
Osborn claimed that there are four general rules for brainstorming: quantity (the assumption is that the greater the number of ideas, the greater the chance for an effective solution), refraining from criticism, supporting \u201ccrazy\u201d ideas, and improving ideas by combining different ones.
\nStart with the worst ideas
\nThis already sounds fun ![\"\ud83d\ude42\"](\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/12.0.0-1/72x72/1f642.png\")
. Joking aside, brainstorming will be successful only if everyone involved feels positive while spit balling everything that comes to their mind regardless of whether the ideas are \u201cworth gold\u201d or not. There are always members in the team who are worried that they will look stupid in front of their colleagues or incompetent for a particular issue. That\u2019s why you should spend the first ten minutes thinking of as many bad ideas as possible. People will be delighted, entertained, and have a sense of freedom that is much needed in these situations.
Play wordplay
\nThis game can serve as a powerful weapon against ordinary, unoriginal or old ideas. Write down a single word and then say out loud all the words that come to your mind, prompted by the written one. Think about the function of the word, the way it is used and the metaphors with which it can be associated. Don\u2019t overthink and let the ideas be spontaneous, because the point is for the exercise to be creative. When you gather a sufficient number of suggestions, group them according to how they play off one another. The goal is to find those less visible and obvious words and phrases with which the target audience (for example, the intended product buyers) can relate.
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/foto-2.jpg\")
Long live doodling!
\nDoodling encourages creativity, increases attention, and makes room in your short-term and long-term memory. Brainstorming is usually based on talking and reading, and doodling helps the participants let go of the traditional and established and directs their minds to look at things from another angle and perspective. You\u2019re wondering what to doodle? Choose two things that have nothing to do with each other. For example, chocolate and a car. Think about how you can make a link between them. Maybe you\u2019ll draw a chocolate car. Thinking about all the elements of certain objects helps you to see them in a new light and function.
\nAnother way for your team to come up with inspiring, good ideas which includes drawings to draw a picture that is most directly related to the concept being discussed. The drawing then goes to the next person who needs to draw on the same paper another picture that is related to the first one, and the process is repeated until everyone finishes. The final drawing is discussed at the end and the group sees the connections that the individual was unable to notice.
\nReverse process
\nBrainstorming is used for solving problems, this is something you already know. However, try out a different approach. Ask your team members to think of a few ways to cause the particular problem. Start by asking \u201cHow could we cause this problem?\u201d As soon as you get a list of excellent suggestions for creating the problem, move straight on to solving them.
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/foto-3.jpg\")
Why is brainstorming good?
\nFirst, a lot of ideas are generated in a short period of time. Second, it doesn\u2019t cost anything. Third, the mood and the team\u2019s productivity are improved. The participants are creatively motivated. Finally, solutions that are accepted by one group are easier to implement into further work. Here\u2019s what \u201cnegative\u201d brainstorming looks like in practice:
\nBrainstorming question: \u201cHow can we create a good and functional service for complaints?\u201d
\nNegative brainstorming question: \u201cHow can we create such a poor service for complaints that not a single customer would want to contact us?\u201d
Creative fatigue
\nDespite all of this, sometimes brainstorming simply does not bring the desired results. It can seem that you literally have no creativity or ideas left in you. You can\u2019t solve the problem, no matter how hard you try. At this point, you need a pick-me-up. You need to distance yourself from the problem. Here are some brainstorming techniques that are both entertaining and can lead you to potentially good ideas:
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/foto-4.jpg\")
Time travel. Ask yourself this: How would I deal with this problem if I were in another time period? Ten, hundred, or thousand years ago. Or in ten, hundred, or thousand years.
\nTeleportation \u2013 how would you face the situation if you were in a different place, country, or continent?
\nChange: what if you were of a different gender, age, height, weight, or nationality?
\nSuperpowers: imagine that you are Superman, Spiderman, or X-Man and ask yourself what they would do.
\nSWOT analysis \u2013 do it!
\nReverse thinking. Think about what people would usually do in your situation. And then you do the exact opposite!
\nMeditate: focus on \u201chow can I reach my goal?\u201d and meditate in a calmer place. Make sure you have a pen and paper at hand, because you never know when your idea will come.
\nAnd last but not least…
\nRemember, brainstorming makes sense only if it\u2019s fun! Good ideas never come from a bad mood. Also, if you\u2019re forcing yourself or your team to be creative and productive, it\u2019s most likely that nothing will come out of it. So, set the mood – bring coffee, tea, pizza, and donuts
\nfor everyone. Play light music in the background. It\u2019s even advisable to stand up and walk around the room during the process, you don\u2019t have to just sit. Make your team feel relaxed, be informal, and get ready for an avalanche of good ideas!
The post Make Brainstorming Fun appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.
\n", "content_text": "Brainstorming is a creative group activity that serves to find solutions to a specific problem by pooling the participants\u2019 spontaneous ideas and suggestions.\nThe father of brainstorming is considered to be Alex Faickney Osborn, a creativity theorist who focused on advertising and writing. And as someone wise once said, \u201cThe best ideas for solving a problem come from the problem itself\u201d in Osborn\u2019s case, this turned out to be completely true. Namely, he was very frustrated with the inability of each employee to individually develop creative ideas for advertising campaigns. So in 1939 he started developing methods for creative problem solving \u2013 group thinking sessions \u2013 and found significant progress both in the quality and the quantity of his employees\u2019 ideas.\n\nOsborn claimed that there are four general rules for brainstorming: quantity (the assumption is that the greater the number of ideas, the greater the chance for an effective solution), refraining from criticism, supporting \u201ccrazy\u201d ideas, and improving ideas by combining different ones.\nStart with the worst ideas\nThis already sounds fun . Joking aside, brainstorming will be successful only if everyone involved feels positive while spit balling everything that comes to their mind regardless of whether the ideas are \u201cworth gold\u201d or not. There are always members in the team who are worried that they will look stupid in front of their colleagues or incompetent for a particular issue. That\u2019s why you should spend the first ten minutes thinking of as many bad ideas as possible. People will be delighted, entertained, and have a sense of freedom that is much needed in these situations.\nPlay wordplay\nThis game can serve as a powerful weapon against ordinary, unoriginal or old ideas. Write down a single word and then say out loud all the words that come to your mind, prompted by the written one. Think about the function of the word, the way it is used and the metaphors with which it can be associated. Don\u2019t overthink and let the ideas be spontaneous, because the point is for the exercise to be creative. When you gather a sufficient number of suggestions, group them according to how they play off one another. The goal is to find those less visible and obvious words and phrases with which the target audience (for example, the intended product buyers) can relate.\n\nLong live doodling!\nDoodling encourages creativity, increases attention, and makes room in your short-term and long-term memory. Brainstorming is usually based on talking and reading, and doodling helps the participants let go of the traditional and established and directs their minds to look at things from another angle and perspective. You\u2019re wondering what to doodle? Choose two things that have nothing to do with each other. For example, chocolate and a car. Think about how you can make a link between them. Maybe you\u2019ll draw a chocolate car. Thinking about all the elements of certain objects helps you to see them in a new light and function.\nAnother way for your team to come up with inspiring, good ideas which includes drawings to draw a picture that is most directly related to the concept being discussed. The drawing then goes to the next person who needs to draw on the same paper another picture that is related to the first one, and the process is repeated until everyone finishes. The final drawing is discussed at the end and the group sees the connections that the individual was unable to notice.\nReverse process\nBrainstorming is used for solving problems, this is something you already know. However, try out a different approach. Ask your team members to think of a few ways to cause the particular problem. Start by asking \u201cHow could we cause this problem?\u201d As soon as you get a list of excellent suggestions for creating the problem, move straight on to solving them.\n\nWhy is brainstorming good?\nFirst, a lot of ideas are generated in a short period of time. Second, it doesn\u2019t cost anything. Third, the mood and the team\u2019s productivity are improved. The participants are creatively motivated. Finally, solutions that are accepted by one group are easier to implement into further work. Here\u2019s what \u201cnegative\u201d brainstorming looks like in practice:\nBrainstorming question: \u201cHow can we create a good and functional service for complaints?\u201d\nNegative brainstorming question: \u201cHow can we create such a poor service for complaints that not a single customer would want to contact us?\u201d\nCreative fatigue\nDespite all of this, sometimes brainstorming simply does not bring the desired results. It can seem that you literally have no creativity or ideas left in you. You can\u2019t solve the problem, no matter how hard you try. At this point, you need a pick-me-up. You need to distance yourself from the problem. Here are some brainstorming techniques that are both entertaining and can lead you to potentially good ideas:\n\nTime travel. Ask yourself this: How would I deal with this problem if I were in another time period? Ten, hundred, or thousand years ago. Or in ten, hundred, or thousand years.\nTeleportation \u2013 how would you face the situation if you were in a different place, country, or continent?\nChange: what if you were of a different gender, age, height, weight, or nationality?\nSuperpowers: imagine that you are Superman, Spiderman, or X-Man and ask yourself what they would do.\nSWOT analysis \u2013 do it!\nReverse thinking. Think about what people would usually do in your situation. And then you do the exact opposite!\nMeditate: focus on \u201chow can I reach my goal?\u201d and meditate in a calmer place. Make sure you have a pen and paper at hand, because you never know when your idea will come.\nAnd last but not least…\nRemember, brainstorming makes sense only if it\u2019s fun! Good ideas never come from a bad mood. Also, if you\u2019re forcing yourself or your team to be creative and productive, it\u2019s most likely that nothing will come out of it. So, set the mood – bring coffee, tea, pizza, and donuts\nfor everyone. Play light music in the background. It\u2019s even advisable to stand up and walk around the room during the process, you don\u2019t have to just sit. Make your team feel relaxed, be informal, and get ready for an avalanche of good ideas!\nThe post Make Brainstorming Fun appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2018-04-30T11:57:17+02:00", "date_modified": "2018-04-30T11:57:17+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-39.jpg", "tags": [ "creativity", "ideas", "play and learn concept", "wordplay", "Hot topics" ] } ] }