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Many workers of all professions view meetings as a waste of time. A recent Harvard Business Review survey of managers found that 83% reported that meetings on their calendars were unproductive.
But a workplace wellness firm takes aim at that finding and says meetings are a crucial part of building happier teams. It may offer more reason for real estate brokerages to keep up with regular check-in meetings.
Nic Marks, CEO of Friday Pulse, says there are five critical components to workplace happiness and they can all be achieved with meetings: connection, fairness, empowerment, challenge, and inspiration.
“They all have an influence, they’re all important, and for some people, some are more important than others,” he told Fast Company. “We’re very socially motivated. If we get on well with our colleagues and feel supported, everything goes a lot better.”
Marks says he has surveyed people to find out how frequently they have a team meeting. “If people don’t have team meetings, the data we have is that they’re three times more likely to be unhappy,” Marks says. “Good team meetings are worth about half a point on a one-to-five scale of happiness, so it’s quite a big effect.”
Marks offers the following tips for holding better meetings:
- Hold a weekly team meeting that has a clear direction and also serves as a bonding experience to help improve relationships on the team.
- Call out employees’ successes and show appreciation.
- Allow employees to share any frustrations or items they’re stuck on during these meetings.
- Have brief one-on-one meetings every month or quarter to discuss any topics a team member is concerned with and to improve relationships with them.
- Hold a walk-and-talk meeting: Walking side by side and getting outside may help some members of your team open up more and could provide a more comfortable environment for holding any difficult conversations.
Read more of Marks’ tips on improving meetings at Fast Company.