Are smaller meetings the answer to creating bigger impacts?

Meetings are making a return, but Jill Manley, group commercial director at The Celtic Collection, believes we should think ‘small’ before jumping back to maximum capacity...

We’ve realised that bigger isn’t always better when it comes to meetings. In fact, smaller meetings can have a greater impact on business goals and attendee wellbeing. Jill Manley, Group Commercial Director at The Celtic Collection discusses the benefits of small meetings and shares her top tips on how to motivate your attendees.

Why host a smaller meeting?

There are a lot of benefits that come with reducing the invite list, increased productivity, focus and creativity to name but a few. Holding a smaller meeting means that you will need to put some thought into who will be attending and if they need to be there.

It might be tricky cutting the list at first, especially if you have a large team but, remember not everyone will be able to contribute to the discussion. By carefully selecting the attendees that are needed and freeing up the diaries of those who aren’t, you are increasing productivity across all aspects of your business.

We have found that having fewer voices in the room in our internal creative and strategy sessions has helped us to achieve some great results and reach decisions quicker.

Short and sweet

If you are reducing the number of people at your meeting you should also consider reducing the agenda points. Where you can, try to streamline the agenda to keep your attendees motivated throughout the meeting and to ensure that the most crucial items are discussed and reviewed. It will also make the outcomes and actions from the meeting easier to digest and delegate.

A change of scenery

It can be hard to feel creative when you are staring at the same four walls or laptop screen, especially when we have been doing this for the past 18 months. Regardless of if you have returned to the office or if you are still working from home, scheduling an in-person meeting away from your daily work location will be much appreciated by your attendees.

Many of us have experienced a renewed appreciation for the great outdoors as a result of the pandemic. Taking a short walk not only helps to boost creativity, productivity but it also boosts physical and mental wellbeing. Most people also naturally ‘unplug’ from their mobile phones and emails, giving them a chance to focus on the task at hand.

Your meeting checklist

Here are my top three things to remember when organising your next meeting:

• Put some thought into your invite list
• Ensure your agenda is streamlined and ticks off the critical discussion points
• Look for a venue with suitable space as well as opportunities to incorporate other activities