Too often we spend a lot of time in meetings which end up as a waste of time, unproductive, and just plain annoying. It is frustrating as a manager to lack employees' engagement in a meeting, especially if you have tried all in your power to make them participate. Lack of the employee participation is a complete roadblock in achieving the objective of a meeting. So don't struggle anymore as the following employee engagement session ideas will do the trick for you.
Team activities
Brainstorm: facilitate brainstorming sessions.
Questions: frame questions that encourage the employee to engage.
Warm up: ask the employee a positive question/something that is already working.
Debate: create a discussion on the objectives of the meeting.
World café: people sit in a restaurant table style and discuss the team question.
Rewards
Thank you note: thank the employee who engages a lot.
Memo: send employee recognition notice.
Applause: applause the employees for contributing
Lunch: invite the most engaged employee to lunch.
Compliment: reward all good ideas.
Company incentives
Lunch: give themed team lunch
Company apparel: issue t-shirts, caps, etc.
Treats: Snacks, biscuit sharing during the meeting.
Feedback: encourage feedbacks
Rate meeting: let employees rate the session out of 5.
Manager activities
Time management: start on time.
Encourage engagement: ask a question.
Limit meetings: maximum of 1hr
Send memos before the meeting: addressing the meeting agenda.
Limit the attendees: fewer people attend more they cooperate.
Ad hoc meeting ideas
Stand up meeting: standing during a meeting improves attention and engagement.
Speed dating: pair employees and encouraging switching of partners to change ideas
Get visual: use of pie charts and graphs.
Special guest: invite mentors and leaders to the meeting.
Direct goals: have clear aims and objectives.
Sharing ideas
Cards- issues cards to the employee to write idea.
Speed dating: bouncing partners to share ideas.
Rounds: going round and making employee complete sentences.
Whiteboards: share ideas on the white boards.
Surveys: Divide the team into groups and conduct a study on an issue.
Fun ideas
Keep it moving: change the aspect of the meeting after every 20 minutes.
Social time: start 10 minutes earlier
Gamification: start each session with a game or a brain teaser.
Outside the box: take advantage of the environment and hold the meeting outsides
Office memes: create fun memes based on the workplace.