Throughout the working day, the workplace plays host to all manner of meetings: large and small, formal and informal, quick and lengthy. To make your meetings as productive and engaging as they can be, the environment needs to be designed not just around the number of people in the meeting but also with the ‘type’ of meeting in mind. Consider the following:
Meeting type
Give some thought to the type of meetings the room needs to support. Are they about collaborating, generating ideas or something more formal? Typically, how many people will be involved? The space and meeting tools provided should support the type of activities that will happen in the meeting.
Focus on engagement
Businesses have moved on from so-called ‘traditional boardrooms’ with a one-size-fits-all-approach. Now, the key is engagement. People are busier than ever; meetings need to be productive and engaging for everyone involved. The facilities, room layout and design needs to reflect this.
Utilise technology
As technology evolves, so do meetings and not all meetings involve people that are physically present anymore.
A meeting room must provide enough space and technology to enable people to bring laptops and personal devices from which they may want to share information – ClickShare technology. Similarly, they must also cater for people who need to join the meeting but can’t physically be there and must instead connect via video conferencing.
Consider the purpose of the meeting – which forms of technology would be useful?
Embrace creativity
If the meeting room is going to be used for idea generation, it should have enough space to integrate digital and analogue tools for brainstorming, making notes and displaying ideas. At Penketh Group, we have a wide range of interactive, touchscreen, magnetic and glass boards to aid creativity and innovation.
Keep moving
To stay alert, switched-on and creative during meetings; movement and adopting a range of postures can help. Low soft seating and sofas help people feel comfortable and relaxed which can help with idea generation and brainstorming. High stools and tables lend themselves to a quick, productive meeting. Maybe your business would see more results in this kind of environment, than the traditional boardroom?
Ensure visibility
In all meetings, it is vital that all attendees feel included and everyone at the meeting is able to connect with each other and see information that is being shared.
The Lano table is a great piece of furniture for a meeting room. Its vase shape means that it tapers in at the end, giving a clear line of sight for everyone around the table.
Consider the physical space available
If space is lacking, a multi-purpose meeting room can be created by using flip top tables. These flexible tables can be re-configured to suit meeting, seminar and training situations. They’re really easy to set up and have integrated cable management to accommodate for technology requirements.
In addition, why not check out the Eastside chairs? These bright and flexible chairs are the ideal solution for a meeting room that’s also used for training. They have optional writing tablets and can save much-needed space in a smaller meeting room.
One final tip: Make the room appear more spacious by installing glass partition walls instead of solid walls, which block out any natural light.
Don’t forget the extras
It’s useful to create some storage space in your meeting room to accommodate any of those little extras you may need during a meeting. This could include anything from pens, paper and extra large post-its to drinks and snacks to keep everyone energised. Considering these items early on will make for a more organised room filled with everything you need.