250-334-3234
Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce | Courtenay, BC
  • Resources
    • MindReader Program
    • Community & Business Info
    • Certificates of Origin
    • Job Board
  • Events
    • All Events
    • 2023 Chamber Awards
  • THE CHAMBER
    • Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Corporate Partners
    • Contact Us
  • Membership
    • Apply to Join
    • Member Benefits
    • Business Directory
    • Member Login
    • Marketing Opportunities
    • How to Start a Small Business
  • Resources
    • MindReader Program
    • Community & Business Info
    • Certificates of Origin
    • Job Board
  • Events
    • All Events
    • 2023 Chamber Awards
  • THE CHAMBER
    • Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Corporate Partners
    • Contact Us
  • Membership
    • Apply to Join
    • Member Benefits
    • Business Directory
    • Member Login
    • Marketing Opportunities
    • How to Start a Small Business

Comox valley Chamber Blog

How to Best Communicate Your Ideas in Meetings for Maximum Impact

2/16/2022

0 Comments

 
​Communication is a vital cornerstone of any business meeting. As the CEO or team manager, you have to use the best skills to keep your employees motivated towards achieving personal and professional goals. To succeed at this job, you'll have to possess the right communicating skills so that your meetings are smooth, effective, and pleasant for everyone.
Unfortunately, a considerable number of people don't know how to communicate effectively while holding meetings. Ineffective meetings can make you and your employees feel misunderstood, unacknowledged, discouraged, and frustrated. Strong communication will make you feel heard and understood, which leads to positive company culture and a successful business. Therefore, understanding how to run effective meetings is an important part of business gatherings. Continue reading as we outline some vital communication ideas to implement in your meetings.
Picture

​Pay Attention to Your Body Language

When holding a meeting, communicating to your audience involves more than just the usual speech or written mode of communication. Body language also plays a significant part in the way we communicate with other people. Research shows that 55% of your communication is through body language. As a result, you need to pay close attention to your body language. Note that your audience is always keen on your body language, and they make snap judgments based on them. Therefore, before any meeting, think about how you will stand and sit. Adopt a good posture, maintain eye contact with many people in the meeting, and avoid cross body language.

​Keep Unnecessary Distractions to a Minimum

Keeping distractions to a bare minimum is essential in improving the quality of your communications in meetings. Try to keep the room soundproofed or choose a location that is far away from background noise and eliminate any possible distractions such as mobile phones. In fact, one study found that up to 80% of employees know that mobile phones can be a significant distraction in meetings. However, approximately 50% of workers still use these gadgets anyway. Before starting any meeting, politely remind your audience to keep their electronic devices like laptops and phones away. This ensures that they pay attention to the messages you convey. If it's necessary to use any devices, restrict them to only those who need them.
Picture

​Enhance Communication With the Best Technology

You can take advantage of technology to help you organize your thoughts and say the right things. This is primarily applicable in instances where the meeting involves participants in different locations under varying time zones. You will need a software or intelligent device that supports hybrid and remote meetings. Look for a device that provides multimedia and other visual details for clearer communication and incorporates solutions such as Zoom to communicate with remote participants more effectively.

​Ask Questions to Bring Others into the Conversation

Although it might not always be possible to involve questions in a meeting, bringing your attendees into the discussion works better than listening to long speeches. However, note that some of your audience may be reluctant to volunteer or answer your questions. You can try asking intelligent questions to push them into offering specific ideas. You can ask random questions aimed at particular individuals or groups, allowing your audience to volunteer in giving answers. This keeps people engaged, and it ensures that everyone understands your message.
Picture

​Conclusion

Good communication is crucial in ensuring that you have an effective meeting. By implementing the above ideas, you will have productive meetings that deliver the intended objective. The key thing is to pay attention to your body language and also bring attendees into the discussion.
0 Comments

Cult of Personality: Building a more positive workplace culture in 90 days

11/16/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Building a positive workplace culture results in happier employees, which in turn, increases your production rates. Basically, a happy workplace is good for everyone. The question is, how can you create a positive, supporting workplace culture quickly. Check out these tips to get started!

​Design an Open Floor Plan

​Having a large, open floor plan lets your employees communicate with each other easily. This creates stronger team bonds and work friendships — and that alone can make your employees happy. While work shouldn't be all about socializing, it is an important part of making your employees happy, and happier employees get more work done.

​Look for New Hires That Fit In

​To create a positive work culture, your employees need to get along. So it's important for hiring managers to look for qualities in job applicants that would help them fit in at your company. For example, if most of your employees are the more casual, chatty type, you don't want to hire someone who seems tightly wound. If you did, he or she would have a hard time working with and building relationships with your current employees. It might take you a bit longer to find someone to fill a job that will be a good fit, but finding someone who "gets" your company's culture is worth the wait.

Be Approachable

​You might tell your employees that you have an open-door policy, but do you really make them feel comfortable approaching you? Take a few minutes each day to interact with your employees. Listen to their ideas, and help them solve problems they're having. When you show genuine interest in your employees, they know that you care about them and appreciate the work they do — and they'll be a lot more comfortable entering your office to have a chat when needed. Also, say "hi" to people you pass in the hallways and smile frequently — it's important for the boss to lead the way and small gestures like this show your employees that you're happy and they should be too.

Have Some Fun

​Don't be afraid to let loose once in awhile. It's good to have some fun with your employees. It shows them that you're just a regular person, not someone who's powerful and scary. Host company-wide events such as a family picnic or an office holiday party. You can also host team-building events for each team. Simply choose fun activities that require team members to work together such as a trip to the nearest escape room facility.
Picture

​
​​Recognize Accomplishments

​Set reachable goals for your employees each month and give recognition awards to employees who meet or exceed their goals. Alternatively, start an Employee of the Month program and let your employees nominate their co-workers for the award. Also, when an employee reaches a small milestone, be sure to let them know that they did a great job.
Creating a positive work environment doesn't have to be difficult. The key to success is getting your employees to bond and interact with each other and ensure they feel valued and supported.
0 Comments

Your Next Meeting Could Be Original

11/9/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
If your company has staff meetings, you know all too well how quickly these regular meetings can become boring, unproductive, and a real drag on employee morale. The good news is that with a little creativity, you can transform your typical meetings into original, exciting events that deliver real results for your business.
​
Here are some tips you can use to make your next meeting more productive and original:

Try Standing Up

With the growing awareness about the health hazards of sitting for long periods, more and more companies are looking for ways to get their employees out of their chairs while on the job - that's why standing meetings are quickly becoming the norm at a number of companies.
​
According to Neal Taparia, Co-CEO of Image Easy Solutions, making the switch to standing meetings not only gave their employees a health boost, but it also cut the amount of time spent in meetings by 25 percent. Taparia observed that standing during meetings helped to eliminate typical distractions, such as the temptation to use a handheld electronic device, which in turn made the meetings more productive.
Picture

Change The Venue

Another way to make your next meeting more original is to get outside the boardroom and head to another venue, whether that's a different office, coffee shop, or local park. Switching up the routine by meeting somewhere that's out of the norm is a great way to re-set your staff team and give everyone a much-needed change in their daily work lives.
​
If your company budget allows, consider holding a meeting at a local restaurant - many have private rooms that can be blocked off for events. Another option is to blend your meeting with a team-building event like a game of mini-putt, bowling, or other fun activity.

Bring In A Guest

​Guest speakers can add a fresh perspective, transforming your typical meeting into an event. Look for guests who your team might not normally have the chance to meet in person, such as a supplier who you only speak with on the phone, or a customer who uses your products or services on a regular basis.
0 Comments

Teams play follow the leader

9/28/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Teamwork is critical for businesses in just about every industry, so it is likely that you will work as part of a team at some point in your career. Depending on your position within your organization, you may be called upon as a team leader as well. Here's what you need to know to keep your team members in line and ensure they follow your instructions willingly.

Take Command

​When you first form your team, you need to establish yourself as the leader right from the start. Make sure that you are well-prepared for your first meeting so you can drive discussions and answer your team's questions. Let your team know that you are available to help whenever they need. Remember, you are the guiding light for your team members throughout the project, so stay on top of your tasks so that your team can follow you.

Listen as Much as You Talk

​Of course, you'll do plenty of talking as the team leader, but it is just as important that you listen to your team. Because they are the ones who will be doing most of the work as you manage, they can provide unique insight as to how the project is progressing and any trouble areas that might arise. Take your team's feedback to heart, but always keep your mind on the bigger picture as well. Your team members are each dealing with individual aspects of the project, and it is up to you to keep everyone on track towards your common goal.
Picture

Focus on the Business

​While you may be able to choose the members of your team, this is not always the case, and you may be required to work with people with whom you don't necessarily get along as friends. Although it is difficult, do your best to set your personal feelings aside. Keep your focus on the task at hand. Even if you don't like a team member on a personal level, that doesn't mean that you can't still work successfully together.

Be Willing to Take the Blame

​Just as the captain goes down with a sinking ship, you are the responsible party as the team leader. While it may be easier to place blame on your team members for any mishaps, at the end of the day, it is you who is responsible for the successful completion of the project. Your team looks to you for direction, so if something goes wrong, you need to take responsibility.

Practice What You Preach

​No matter what type of project you are working on, you need to show your team that you are in it with them. No one likes to see their team leader sitting back while they do all the work, so you need to be working just as hard as your team members. At each meeting, review their progress, but also show them your progress. This way, they'll see that you are working just as hard as they are, encouraging them to work harder for you.
Managing a team is not easy, but with careful planning and preparation, as well as a good dose of respect for your team members, you can give yourself your best chance of delivering your project successfully.
0 Comments

    Author

    The Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce has been serving the community proudly since 1919.

    Categories

    All
    2019: Chamber Centennial
    2020: Advocacy
    Buy Local
    Digital Marketing
    Health And Wellness
    Leadership
    Small Business Resources
    Volunteer Connector

Picture
©​ 2020 Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce.  All Rights Reserved.
2040 Cliffe Avenue  |  Courtenay, BC  V9N 2L3
Phone: (250) 334-3234 |  sitemap

MemberClicks