Why offsite meetings are good for employee engagement
Keeping employees engaged during a meeting is vital to make sure that you are not wasting time and that you will all leave with a productive outcome. What you don’t want is to have to organise another meeting to cover everything you were trying to deal with in the first meeting because it went nowhere, and it’s never fun seeing a room full of unengaged employees. Sometimes what you really need is to change it up so that you can get that enthusiasm and attention back.
Hosting an off-site meeting space could be just what you need to boost employee engagement and here are our top reasons why:
Technology boosts options for engagement
There are many benefits of offsite meetings. However, one great aspect of an off-site meeting is the ability to take advantage of the technology available, whether that’s the fantastic Wi-Fi or the incredible Audio-Visual (AV) technology that the venue has. This will help with presentations, demos, and training seminars.
Fun team-building activities for offsite meetings
If you’re leaving the office anyway, you could take the opportunity to include some team building activities in your itinerary. This could be something as simple as treating the team to lunch and allowing them to socialise over a meal or through playing games and completing challenges to encourage collaborative working and showcase their skills. Team building can also help to encourage quieter employees to feel comfortable enough to speak up and trust their co-workers to listen to them.
Break the cycle to break through
It’s easy to get stuck monotonous cycle at work, going through the same processes of showing up, doing your work and leaving. Going off-site for a meeting can help to shake things up and will boost employee engagement by changing the normal workday. Having the meeting off-site will also make the meeting seem more important, as there is extra work going into organising it.
Remove distractions from other employees
If you don’t have a dedicated meeting space in your office, you may find that having meetings at people’s desks are distracting employees nearby who are not part of the meeting. Those employees being distracted will eventually lead to them being less productive, as well as the possibility that in their distraction they will disrupt your meeting, even unintentionally.
Planning offsite meetings is great for commuters/remote workers
Travelling into the office can be complicated for remote workers so planning offsite meetings in a central location can reduce tiredness from travelling, as well as be a good mood booster, as it shows a willingness to compromise and value employees.
Getting away can be good
If you have people travelling from further away, an off-site meeting space with on-site accommodation will make life easier for the attendees and provides them with the opportunity to arrive the day before to get a good night’s sleep, which is vital for being engaged and having a good attention span for your meeting. Sometimes just getting away for a night can help employees clear their heads and refocus on the task ahead.
Offsite meetings offer better communication
Offsite meetings are important for ensuring effective communication, as they allow participants to pick up cues from facial expressions and body language that may not be discernible over long distances or through emails.
Set better time limits
Having a clear understanding of the meeting’s duration enables employees to focus better, as they know exactly how much time they need to dedicate to the meeting before returning to their regular tasks. With predetermined time limits, employees are less likely to be distracted or wonder when the meeting will conclude. This certainty fosters a more productive and focused atmosphere.
Furthermore, incorporating breaks into the meeting schedule can enhance productivity and engagement. Offsite meeting spaces often offer amenities such as refreshments, making it convenient to take short breaks and recharge. These breaks not only provide an opportunity for participants to relax and refuel but also encourage networking and informal discussions, which can lead to valuable insights and collaborations.
In summary, there are many benefits of offsite meetings and utilising offsite meeting spaces, including improved focus, enhanced productivity, and efficient use of resources. By leveraging these advantages, organisations can conduct more effective meetings and achieve better outcomes.
Get in touch with our team today to book your off-site meeting at our venue in Oxfordshire and boost your employee engagement. We have 20 meeting spaces and can hold up to 170 people in our venue, not to mention enough free parking for all your delegates.
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