Company-wide meetings are among the most challenging gatherings to wrangle. Unlike smaller conferences and meetings, a town hall-style meeting--wherein the name of the game is speechifying instead of conversing--is shot through with pitfalls for organizers and speakers. It is just exceedingly difficult to hold the attention of a large group of people whose main role is listening. But there are a few things you can do to ensure such occasions don't leave people feeling tired and bored and unappreciated.
Recruit Actually Interesting Speakers
Believe it not, the employees in your organization are not necessarily captivated by yet another safe speech from the CEO and his management crew. Of course, if your town hall meeting has been convened to make a major announcement, one of the usual suspects should deliver that message. But consider sending some less conventional (read: less powerful) presenters into the spotlight. This not only communicates confidence in your entire organization, but it will give your listeners something new and maybe even interesting to engage with.
Be Real About Your Shortcomings
Pep talks and positive thinking are fine. In fact, they can be great spurs for productivity. But you'll be addressing fellow adults. If there is something amiss in your organization, they'll know about it. They'll have thoughts about it. Don't ignore those problems during a company-wide conference. You will only come across as willfully ignorant and dismissive. Being honest about your company's faults and weaknesses can be a great opportunity for a bonding moment—confide in your team, ask them to join you in solving problems. They'll probably follow you.
Acknowledge Victories
That said, don't be shy about your successes. Give your employees something to cheer about, something to make them feel like getting out of bed in the morning and going to work for you actually makes some kind of positive difference. Make an effort to single out people who have performed particularly well or who have made an undeniable impact on office culture. People want to know they are being noticed. Notice them.
Encourage Dialogue
A large town hall meeting doesn't offer opportunities for the kinds of back-and-forth exchanges that propel smaller conferences, but be sure to set some time aside for question-and-answer sessions. This is some Public Speaking 101 advice, but it's absolutely crucial. You've asked people to listen to your spiel. Now do them the same courtesy. No one wants to listen to someone who can't give as good as they get.
Record It And Post It
No matter how strict your policies regarding meeting attendance, there will be people who won't be able to attend, even if you offer a video conferencing option for remote employees. This is why you should take advantage of a solution like Polycom Media Suite, which allows users to record and deliver full motion video to any viewer on any device. And if you're worried about security, well, worry not, because Polycom Media Suite offers data privacy and encrypted connections with tight policy control.
Explore our many recording and streaming solutions, as well as our wide variety of mobile video conferencing offerings.
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