Boring Meetings: Why They Happen & How to Make Work Meetings Fun

“I have never been  bored in  a meeting”, said no one ever - let’s admit it, we’ve all been there! Of course, we have been to meetings that were fun, interesting, and that kept our attention for (almost) the whole part, but oftentimes, meetings are seen as a waste of time or as boring. 

Meetings are a great way to collaborate, build team relationships, and share ideas, but it is important to make them engaging and productive to avoid them turning into boring meetings. 

Now you must be wondering how to make meetings fun and productive? We’re here to give you some tips. But first, let’s talk about the reasons why people can get bored during meetings.

5 common mistakes that lead to boring meetings 

Whether it is a daily stand-up meeting or an all-hands meeting, there are mistakes to avoid unless you want participants to fall asleep.

1. Endless meetings

Don’t bore people to tears with meetings that never end. According to a recent study, just under 40% of meeting participants have admitted to having fallen asleep during a meeting. So how long is too long? According to Alex Plaxen, vice president of experience strategy for Nifty Method Marketing & Events, unless the meeting is interactive, participants will lose attention span between 15 to 20 minutes into the meeting. So keep that in mind if you don’t want to plan a boring meeting.

2. Being unprepared

Nothing is more frustrating than being pulled into a meeting that does not have a clear plan. An estimated 7 out 10 employees feel their time is being squandered, according to Team Stage. It is a waste of time for everyone. If you are not confident about the covered topic, nobody will be interested and you can be sure that they’ll think your meeting is boring. So be prepared before calling attendees to a meeting. Have a defined topic and a detailed agenda.

3. That one person who doesn’t stop talking

Don’t make the mistake of inviting the most chatty person on the team ! You know, that person who loves meetings, knows everything about everything, and loves to talk about all their accomplishments. If you can, keep that person out of the equation; if not, make sure to keep them in line. Meetings are only constructive if all attendees participate equally– and freely!

4. Unclear purpose

Have you ever been bored at a meeting and felt useless because the topic was irrelevant to you or because it wasn’t a direct concern for you ? If that’s the case, it is not surprising. All participants should be invited for a specific reason and the purpose of the meeting should be clear.

5. Where are the visual elements?

According to statistics, the majority of people are visual learners and visual content helps capture audience attention. For these reasons, if the meeting host does not include visual elements, participants are more likely to get distracted by their phones and start doing something else on their computer– and we don’t blame them! To support this, 75% of CEO’s feel audio-only conferences are a thing of the past.

11 ways to make boring meetings a thing of the past!

When planning a meeting, the last thing you want is for participants to leave thinking “This was such a boring meeting!” So here are ways to make boring meetings exciting again.

1. Change your landscape

When working from home, it is important to have a designated workspace to optimize productivity, but sometimes, it is nice to change things up and get out of your routine with a change of scenery. Consider joining your meeting from a new location such as a coffee shop, library, coworking space, or anywhere else your imagination takes you to.

2. Get creative

Gain everyone’s attention and engagement from the start! Establish the mood of the meeting right from the beginning in a fun and creative way. You can start by sharing a fun fact, announcing something important, or by doing a fun live poll to get participants’ interest. It’s the perfect time to use your imagination!

3. End on a positive note

When hosting a meeting, stay positive and enthusiastic! Not only will it make participants feel the same way, but ending your meeting on a positive note will boost their interest and excitement for the next ones.

4. Start with an icebreaker

Who does not like icebreakers? They are such a great way for participants to learn more about each other and encourage attendees to participate in the conversation. Keep in mind that your goal is to make attendees feel more comfortable so don’t ask questions that are too personal. You can ask something simple, such as asking everyone to share a fun fact about themselves.

5. Use meeting memes

Spice up your virtual meetings by using memes to communicate with your team. In a world where everyone uses emojis, GIF, and such to express themselves, why miss on the opportunity to include it in your meeting? Fun and laughter guaranteed!

6. Share the agenda ahead of time

Let participants know beforehand what to expect from the meeting so that they can prepare any questions they may have. By familiarizing themselves with the content, attendees will be more likely interested and engaged at the time of it. 

7. Give responsibilities to participants

Having participants contribute to the meeting by giving them objectives and responsibilities such as hosting, leading the conversation, or taking notes is a fun way to keep them interested and engaged in the meeting.

8. Use visual content

There are many benefits to integrating visuals to meeting presentations. It contributes to productivity and grabs participants' interest. Also, most people are visual learners, so using visuals will help them retain information and provide more clarity about the discussed topic.

9. End the meeting with action items

Finishing the meeting by assigning tasks that need to be completed will give participants the feeling that the meeting was beneficial. It also gives them a better understanding of what needs to be completed next.

10. Use meeting agenda software

Not only will it help you stay organized, but it will also be a great tool to build a structured and productive meeting that will keep your audience engaged from start to finish. Some types of meeting agenda software have features that allow you and team members to share collaborative agendas, take notes in real-time, and more. 

11. Encourage friendly and productive debate

When hosting any kind of events, especially meetings, you always want to encourage participation from attendees. To motivate people to engage in conversation, you should consider initiating a friendly debate. It is a nice opportunity to get to know more about each other by sharing opinions. 

Say goodbye to boring meetings

As a host, your goal is to organize meetings that people won’t drag their feet to go to. The topic and content play an important role in determining if a meeting is boring, but now you have learned the mistakes to avoid and the ways to keep your audience interested and engaged so request a demo with Hubilo and plan the best virtual meeting!