Team meetings ideas needed

[wineandsun]

I have been given the task to chair monthly meetings which will be split over 3 sessions with approx 50 people in each session. A mix of staff mostly technical. The previous meetings have had no interaction at all. My task is to get people to engage. Approx 80% of attendees English isn't their first language so potentially some don't want to talk in from of a virtual group. Although all their English is very good I understand they may be apprehensive.
So... what can I to get people to engage, interact etc... the meeting is really just a team meeting so I'll give some general info and they probably have about 15 minutes to fill. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

I wish I knew the answer to this question. Every team meeting I've ever had had been utterly wank. Ice breakers which everyone hates. Breakout rooms which everyone hates. Personal introductions which everyone hates. Achieves absolutely nothing and makes you feel like you're at primary school. I think most big team meetings are a grin and bear it kind of thing but I'm so interested to know if there's anyone out there who has any ideas or loves their team meetings!

Yes really hoping some ideas are shared as I have to chair the meetings on Tuesday and the pressure is on to make them exciting...

You can do polls and quizzes in teams, you just need to search the add ons.

Isn't that your problem though? Trying to make a team meeting exciting? I don't think I've ever been to an exciting team meeting. Can't it just be used for practical stuff? Maybe get them to present on the work they've been doing to update other team members on what's been going on in other departments? This is what I'd probably find most useful.

What is the purpose of the meeting?
What sort of interaction do you want?
Do you need input on something? In which case - use polls/whiteboards/mentimeter
Questions on chat rather than having to speak?
Cameras on to ensure attention?
If it is just an info update, most people would rather have a 15 min shorter meeting?

Can you make slots for 2 or 3 people to give 5 min updates on something about their work ? A problem they solved , sone new coding package ?

Agree, what’s that app you can use when you add words and the more popular words get bigger and give an overall picture of what people think?? We used it in a meeting and it was a bit more interesting but I can’t for the life of me remember the name! Someone else must though… that might appeal to technical people too.

It's scheduled for 25 minutes but could push for 20. It's to bring teams together who work across different timezones and like most team meetings are pretty pointless but have to be done. A poll or quiz could be a good idea.

Yes like the idea for people to give updates, maybe problems they have solved

That's a very big team meeting.I'd suggest break out groups with focus on whatever topics are relevant.

For example if you have low customer satisfaction scores, put up big sheets of paper at points around the room and have the main negative feedback reasons on each. Ask them to contribute suggestions to improve each area. Get people moving around the room and talking to each other.

It can work well if you're trying to come up with a team strategy, you have a window/wall or big sheet of paper for 'Fix', another for 'focus' and another for 'grow'. You put out post it notes and markers and ask for the group to contribute suggestions of things that need to be 'fixed immediately in the short term', 'focused on as a priority for resolution within 6 months', 'developed and grown over the next 12 months'. Then go through them as a group, get agreement on which are the most important, how they can be put together to form a consistent and clear set of objectives for a 3/6/12 month action plan with team owners. If you have people in the team who are aiming for progression then it gives them the opportunity to own actions and build on project management skills.

Small victories?

Depends so much on the point of the meeting but at my last one I asked ppl to come with answers to three questions.

1. biggest work problem they're currently dealing with
2. most interesting project they have on the go atm
3. the one goal for their team that they're determined to have achieved by the end of this academic year Questions will be dependent on your industry of course. Mine's arts education hence the relatively open ended questions. Totally appreciate these wouldn't work in banking for example! I just hate sitting on team meets where one person does all the talking so having questions for everyone to answer means the communication is shared.

50 people for 25 mins?

Nothing of any value can happen in this time.

I'd probably get all of them to complete a SWOT analysis and submit it before, collate the responses and use the most commonly cited ones of each to assign to people to work on. And then that's it. Out of that may follow individual meetings to work on the areas.

Are you their manager at all? What authority do you have in the group of 50?

An anonymous way to ask questions. (We use slido). It means those that are too shy to speak out can still ask their question.

50 people cannot possibly contribute vocally in one meeting. Certainly not in your time frame. So either go for voting options, or break out rooms of 5-8 people in each with a facilitator.

50 people is too big for any sort of meaningful meeting, OK if they are just listening to presentations but too many for proper interactions, especially as presumably it is online not face to face.

Mentimeter! Www.menti.com

slido is another good one

Sorry mine was in answer to @Idratherbepaddleboarding. Reply fail!

Agree the number is very large and I will look to change that over the coming months. I don't manage them, my role is supporting the overall delivery of what they do. Some really good ideas, thanks, and will have a re read and do some test runs of potential quiz ideas.

Each week someone from each region or office gives a five minute update on their biggest success or the biggest local challenge.

Could you nominate people to speak by saying ‘John, what do you think?’. Do this with a few and they will get used to it and be ready with a response. I’m a teacher and that is what we do.

I hate these ' needed team meetings' I just sit there and watch my inbox filling up even more as I lose 2 hrs of my life.

You’ve really got to sort out the purpose of the meeting and what outcome you want before you plan content.

Why does it need to be more exciting? Are you looking to change culture? What’s the culture like at the moment?

Is the team not working well together at the moment? Why not? Do people feel they can speak up and share problems and problem solve together?

What do they want the team meetings to achieve?

build a team?

update on progress?

share problems?

once you know what you need to achieve then figuring out how to achieve it.

as an attendee I always prefer a heads up about what we will be discussing, it is worth doing a short ice breaker, can be done in groups and project related if time is short.

Also ask the attendees what they would like to get from the team meeting.