Elevating Meetings: Crafting Intentional Spaces Through Storytelling and Science

Introduction: A Tale of Forgotten Spaces

Have you ever attended an offsite meeting where everything was perfectly orchestrated? Every meeting room was selected for a specific purpose, and the presenters and meeting leaders interacted with the space to make their narratives resonate and your meetings inspiring. Why is this vital character in our meeting's story—the space itself—often overlooked, relegated to a backdrop rather than cast as a crucial player? Inspired by the wisdom of Priya Parker in "The Art of Gathering" and the insightful research of Professor Steven Rogelberg in "The Surprising Science of Meetings," let's embark on a journey to transform our meeting spaces from mere locations to protagonists in our quest for productivity and connection.

Chapter 1: The Overlooked Character

Our story often begins in the most uninspiring settings: a dimly lit room that saps the spirit or a virtual meeting where the backdrop of domestic chaos distracts from the matter at hand. These common scenarios undermine our meetings before they even start. Priya Parker crafts a vision for us, suggesting, "You should…seek a setting that embodies the reason for your convening. When a place embodies an idea, it brings a person's body and whole being into the experience, not only their minds." This quote isn't merely advice; it's a call to action to elevate our spaces to participants in the gathering.

Chapter 2: The Physical Realm - Crafting Meaningful Encounters

As we navigate the post-pandemic, digital age, the yearning for physical connection is intensifying yet complicated due to our hybrid work schedules and remote teams. This new normal makes the rare in-person meeting an event worth cherishing. Here's how we can honour those who are not only attending the meeting but carving time out to travel to and from the location:

Lighting as the Mood Composer:

• Ensure the room is well-lit: neither too bright nor too dark. Both can have negative consequences, causing eyestrain, headaches, diminishing focus, and unpleasantness in the room. When possible, opt for natural light as it increases vitamin D, boosts energy levels and supports overall productivity and?well-being.
• Tip:?Make sure you know how to control the lighting and window blinds in the room to adjust the lighting before the meeting starts.

Air Quality as the Invisible Muse:

• Fresh air is more than a commodity; it's a catalyst for clarity and creativity. Referencing studies from prestigious institutions like Harvard and Universit?t Bremen, our cognitive abilities are intricately tied to the air we breathe (source). This isn't just science; it's a reminder that our environments shape our minds.
• Tip:?Before the meeting starts, open the windows and doors to air it out for 5-10 minutes before the attendees arrive. You might also consider getting an air-quality measuring device like those from CARU .

Orderliness as the Foundation of Focus:

• In a cluttered and messy room, distractions abound.?Neuroscience?tells us that our brains crave order, a notion supported by research indicating that a tidy space can significantly enhance our cognitive functions. It's a narrative about the subtle power of cleanliness.
• Tip:?Clear the conference table of any left-over clutter from previous meetings. Erase whiteboards that have information left on them that does not pertain to your meeting.

Seating Arrangements as the Conductor of Collaboration:

• The arrangement of a room can dictate the flow of ideas and energy. Drawing from insights in the?Harvard Business Review, we learn that seating dynamics can transform interaction quality, turning passive attendees into active participants.
• Tip:?First, ensure that everyone has a seat at the table. You can't have inclusive meetings if some attendees are relegated to the second row. At the same time, ensure that the table is not too big and that there is a gulf between groups or attendees. Finally, review your attendee list and consider who should sit where. The person at the head of the table is usually accepted as the meeting leader; those on the direct left and right are seen as the influencers, and those afterwards as collaborators.

But what about in the real world?

At this point, I want to acknowledge that life is messy. Businesses are fraught with sudden changes and urgent matters that keep us in meetings longer or hinder us from getting to a meeting room early. If that is the case, consider using the first three minutes to tidy the room, air it out and adjust the seating as a team. You can even use the time doing this as your check-in. Furthermore, another benefit to this is that when you're done, you'll have already collectively achieved something together - creating a meaningful and intentional meeting space. This exercise is easier to do for teams rather than when meeting with superiors or external stakeholders.

Chapter 3: The Virtual Domain - Bridging Distances with Intention

Creating a sense of presence requires craft and intention in the realm of pixels and screens. As I wrote above, today, we're in more virtual meetings than physical ones. Many of us fire off Google Calendar, and Outlook invites to Google Meet and Teams meetings without thinking about how to improve that experience. Here are some ways.

Lighting and Camera Work as the Bridge to Connection:

• The way meeting participants see or don't see us on screen can significantly impact the feeling of connection in virtual meetings. It's about more than just visibility; it's about ensuring that every gesture and expression is communicated across the digital divide. In virtual meetings, we lose many of the physical signifiers of communication. Therefore, we want to ensure that smiles, brows furrowing, and other facial expressions are visible to attendees.
• Tip:?Ensure that you are in a well-lit room with light shining on your face. A simple ring light can do wonders here.

Backgrounds as the Canvas of Identity:

• Just like our physical meeting rooms need to be clutter-free, so do our virtual ones. If the background in your home office is messy, blur it or opt for a virtual background, whereby our choice of backdrop in virtual meetings sends a message, intentionally or not. By selecting backgrounds that resonate with the purpose of the meeting, we create a shared digital environment that enhances trust and focus. According to a study in PLOS ONE and available at the?National Library of Medicine National Center for Biotechnology Information, artificial backgrounds with books and plants are seen as more trustworthy. At the same time, those depicting homes and other novelty scored lower.?
• Tip:?We can use virtual backgrounds positively if we are transparent and intentional with them. For example, in a strategy session, a background depicting a boardroom with a cityscape outside the window can bring people into the business leader mindset if you introduce it with a sentence in your opening saying, "Today, we're discussing our Q2 marketing content strategy. To get us into that mindset, we're in the conference room of Saatchi & Saatchi in New York." Another example is if you want to celebrate a milestone, fireworks or pigments in the air can support your intention of celebration. Be creative, ask for feedback and improve.

The Virtual Waiting Room as the Prelude:

• This space can set the tone for the meeting, transforming a simple wait into an opportunity for engagement and mental preparation. It's the opening scene to our gathering, setting expectations and building anticipation.?
• Tip:?Incorporating a welcoming waiting room or a welcoming slide with meeting information such as the purpose, agenda, attendees, and "meeting hygiene" rules (mute microphones, cameras on, close other programs) will help people mentally move into a different meeting space. Light music reduces the initial awkwardness and sets a positive tone for the meeting, and when you turn it off, it's a clear signal that the meeting is starting. (Listen to SHERPANY CEO Tobias H?ckermann discuss the opening below.

Chapter 4: Hybrid Meetings - The Art of Balance

Creating a cohesive experience becomes our greatest challenge and opportunity as we weave together the physical and virtual in hybrid meetings. In one of our Design and Run Better Hybrid Meeting workshops, a course participant put the challenge of this type of meeting very elegantly. She said a hybrid meeting succeeds when everyone is seen and heard and feels like they occupy the same space. Along with following the suggestions above for physical and virtual meeting spaces, here are some additional things you should do with your hybrid meetings.?

Technology as the Great Equalizer:

• Ensuring in-person and remote participants have a seamless experience is critical. It's about democratising the meeting space, ensuring every voice can be heard, regardless of location.
• Tip:?A simple introduction to the technology at the start of a hybrid meeting significantly reduces confusion and increases contributions from remote attendees.

The Co-Meeting Leader as the Ambassador of Inclusion:

• This role is pivotal in bridging the gap between the two worlds, ensuring that the hybrid meeting feels like a single, unified space.
• Tip:?Introduce the co-meeting leader, who sits in the space you do not occupy but has a direct connection to you as the meeting leader, at the beginning of the meeting. This will ensure that meeting participants know how to contribute to the meeting if the virtual-physical gap widens.?

Acknowledge the hybrid nature:

• Hybrid meetings often have people joining from many locations. To raise awareness, ask people to share where they are joining from.
• Tip: For remote participants, ask them to use a virtual background that symbolises or shows where they are calling from. Having different backgrounds helps everyone acknowledge that some people participate from other cultural contexts and time zones.

Conclusion: The Space as the Story

Our meeting spaces, whether physical, virtual, or hybrid, are more than mere settings; they are active participants in our gatherings. We transform these spaces into fertile grounds for creativity, collaboration, and connection by imbuing them with intention and care. This journey isn't just about improving meetings; it's about recognising and harnessing the power of our environments to shape our stories. Let this be a call to action: to view every meeting as an opportunity to create a meaningful, engaging narrative through the chosen spaces and the intention with which we fill them.

Become a Better Meeting Leader by Joining a Webinar or Attending a Workshop:

If you want to enhance your meeting management skills further, consider joining one of my free webinars this year. These interactive sessions are designed for small groups and cover various aspects of the journey to excellent meetings. Learn more and register here, or if you want to bring meeting management to your team, see the workshops and online training options we offer at Sherpany.