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Thinking about the traditional business meeting brings up images of people in stuffy suits sitting around a long table discussing business on the outside, completely bored on the inside. Their goal is to conduct business, and business as usual just happens to come wrapped in uncomfortable clothing, an expressionless face, no fun, and definitely no snacks.
But this type of strict tradition has a time and a place, and it’s not here or now. Well, at least not if you want to encourage creativity and genius. While some people believe a casual environment is counterproductive and can lead to laziness, sloppiness, and a decrease in professionalism, other people see it differently.
When you look at some of the most successful tech companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter, and even Apple, you won’t find meeting rooms filled with suits. You’ll find people wearing jeans and a t-shirt, sometimes walking around barefoot to collaborate with others across the campus. You’ll also find people engaging in morning yoga classes, sitting in massage chairs, using slides to bypass the elevator and stairs, working out in onsite gyms, and even breaking a sweat in the on-campus skate park.
The benefits of creating such a casual environment for employees is huge. When the workplace is more enjoyable, people are less stressed, and they’re able to be more innovative. One of Google’s principle philosophies is, “you can be serious without a suit,” and it’s absolutely true – their billion-dollar success is proof that it’s true.
You can be casual without changing your office.
If you want to bring a more casual experience to your team, you may not have the time or the resources to change the structure of the work environment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t invite your team over for a backyard barbecue meeting.
How to Host a Backyard Barbecue Staff Meeting
Hosting a staff meeting as a barbecue can be a great way to bring your team members together for a chance to get to know each other as well as feel more comfortable sharing their ideas and expressing themselves authentically.
Find a good barbecue grill. This is the most important part. If you don’t have a grill already, you can get one from most department stores for a couple hundred bucks.
Get some decent seating. Some basic patio furniture will be sufficient for your meeting, and you can find affordable matching patio chairs at some drug stores or department stores.
Heat it up. You’ve seen those patio heaters at restaurants – they make it possible to sit outside when it’s chilly. Well, the great news is you can get them for your own patio, too. Even in the summer, the temperature can drop significantly,
Follow an agenda. Of course, you’ll want to create and follow an agenda, as with any meeting. You can dedicate the first hour to socializing and eating, and then call everyone to the table to conduct the meeting while people finish their meals. It may be more difficult to stay on track in a casual environment, and while that can be a challenge, it’s not hard to do.
Ask for input. Ask your team ahead of time if they’d like to make the next staff meeting a backyard barbecue. It will give them enough time to prepare for the meeting, and they’ll also have something to look forward to.
Have a backup seating plan. Weather conditions can be unpredictable, and just in case it gets too cold or starts to rain, you’ll want to have a backup plan for bringing the meeting inside.
A backyard barbecue meeting provides many benefits including:
- Fostering a stronger connection between team members.
- In a relaxed environment, people feel like they can be more like themselves.
- Most meetings are ineffective, boring, and end up a waste of time – a backyard barbecue is an opportunity to get people to feel alive.
- Hosting a meeting as a potluck helps everyone feel like they’re a contribution to the meeting, and when people feel useful, they’re happier.
- Employees can get to know each other as people outside of the office environment.
- A change of scenery tends to refresh people from the drudgery of stuffy cubicles and meeting rooms.
- It shows employees that life isn’t so serious, and you can have fun while working.
- You can host your barbecue meeting anywhere.
If you don’t have a barbecue or the space to host the meeting, you can always ask an employee if they’d like to host it at their home. Or, you can rent spaces with access to barbecues such as outdoor picnic areas in local parks or even hotels with outside patio access.
If you’re looking for a way to encourage your employees to be more authentic and express their ideas freely, creating ways for them to be themselves with each other is a great way to start. A backyard barbecue meeting is a great way to create those connections.