Creating a Comfortable Meeting Environment
Are you hosting a business meeting soon? Perhaps, you have attended one recently that left you scratching your head and did not meet your minimal expectations? There are many items to check off the list when hosting a professional business meeting.
First, and foremost, assess the location you are hosting the business meeting at for comfort. Is the heating and air conditioning working? Will people be freezing or sweating? If the answer to that question is “maybe”, try to find another venue.
I have certainly been in my share of meetings over my careers. One location was so hot, I almost passed out. I am prone to heat and sun stroke, so warm environments can be very dangerous for me. And I have also been to meetings where the cold winter outside is basically inside as well! While, for me, it has always been easier to pile on jackets or sweaters and try to get warm than attempting to cool down, both can be dangerous. and at a minimum, distracting. Inclement environments can take away the importance of the subject the meeting was called to address. It can make your audience not recall what they learned. There are always alternate venues - community centers, office building common meeting areas that you might be able to privately reserve, or call a Zoom Meeting if you cannot confirm adequately temperature controlled surroundings.
Another aspect of in person meetings that I have noticed is often overlooked is ample supply of water, ideally chilled. I have been to a few meetings where no water or any beverage is offered. This is never a good idea. Water is simply a must have. Do not expect people to run to use a faucet somewhere or bring their own. If you cannot provide cold water, let your attendees know to bring their own thermos with back up bottles. Otherwise, coughing, hoarse voices are but a few of the repercussions of a beverage starved meeting. Also, note that not everyone drinks coffee. If you wish to offer coffee, you must also offer water. It seems so simple but yet it is not. I have attended many beverage light meetings and many where they were just nonexistent. All I can focus on in the meeting is “where’s the water?”. I am certain this is not what the host intended.
The other common sense focus to ensure a comfortable meeting is the type of seating you are offering. Stools do not work for a lengthy meeting. People may be larger than the stool itself and hang off of it. It is often embarrassing and uncomfortable and they spend the meeting trying not to spill onto the floor. A chair with a back is a must. Whether the chair is a folding one or not, make sure there is a back, always a back. I once sat on a chair that just broke in half. Luckily, I was not hurt but it was hard to focus on the topic throughout the rest of the meeting.
These may seem like common sense items to address prior to hosting a meeting. However, they truly require your attention as the host. Regulate the room temperature so your folks are not freezing or sweating, offer water in addition to any other beverages, but at a minimum, offer water, and make sure your chairs are safe and sturdy. Leave the stools to the local bar. Make it so your audience remembers your topic and they will learn faster, retain more of your dialogue, and actually want to make a return trip!
Be well.
