{"id":147,"date":"2018-07-17T21:14:25","date_gmt":"2018-07-17T21:14:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danielvlopes238992071.wordpress.com\/2018\/07\/17\/whats-the-best-way-to-run-an-effective-all-hands-meeting\/"},"modified":"2025-02-28T11:10:10","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T19:10:10","slug":"whats-the-best-way-to-run-an-effective-all-hands-meeting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canopy.is\/blog\/2018\/07\/17\/whats-the-best-way-to-run-an-effective-all-hands-meeting\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the best way to run an effective all-hands meeting?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There\u2019s no one-size-fits-all solution\u200a\u2014\u200abut there are best practices. Here are 5 recommendations from leaders all over the world on how to hold a well-run company-wide meeting.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cDoes my team think this is a waste of time?\u201d <\/em><\/strong>The thought slips into your mind as your prepare for your all-hands meeting. Whether it\u2019s the first all-hands you\u2019ve prepared for or your fiftieth, the question inevitably creeps up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You need to get everyone in your company on the same page. And so, like most leaders, you decided to hold an all-hands meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, you wonder if the energy in the room will be flat. Are the topics being covered repetitive? Will folks be sitting there, dying to do just anything<\/em> else than attend the all-hands?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To figure out how to hold an effective all-hands meeting\u200a\u2014\u200aone that employees don\u2019t dread or feel apathetic about\u200a\u2014\u200aI posed the question to our online community of 1,000+ leaders from all over the world: What do they<\/em> do to make sure their all-hands meeting is not a waste of time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answers I received were from companies as small as 10 employees to companies as big as 260, with ideas as varied as their company size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, they did agree on these five recommendations for an effective all-hands meeting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1: Never shut up about your mission, vision, values, and goals.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Whatever you choose to talk about, tie it back to the bigger picture of what the company is trying to accomplish. Progress<\/a> motivates employees\u2014 so sharing how their progress fits into the company\u2019s progress gives them energy. One member remarked: \u201cBecause my business partner and I talk about this stuff (mission\/vision\/values) all the time, it feels like old news to me. But a big part of our jobs as leaders is to never shut up about this stuff.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2: Pull back the curtain.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Reveal something in the company that is opaque. Unlike status update meetings or quarterly emails, the all-hands meeting is a rare opportunity to shine a light on something most people in the company find confusing or \u201coff limits\u201d to talk about. For example, some companies will walk through their financials at a high-level. Other companies have the CEO share her thoughts on the vision for the company over the next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#3: Mix it up, keep it fresh.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Yawn. Our members admitted that all-hands meetings can become, well, boring. Pass around the mic and avoid the potential of CEOs droning<\/a> on (myself included!). Delegating<\/a> speaking roles will get everyone involved, and give folks who best know their domain a chance to shine. Consider also mixing up the meeting format each time, as well. You could invite an outside speaker for one meeting, or ask a team to give a presentation for another. When you vary the format, you can better keep your team\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#4: Don\u2019t make them mandatory.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The minute you make something required, people resent it. Don\u2019t twist employees\u2019 arms or cajole them into showing up to an all-hands meeting. Instead, make it clear what benefits of attending are, and make it optional. Our members noticed that they saw the greatest engagement during their all-hands meetings when they didn\u2019t force everyone on their team to attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#5: Invite critical questions.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It can feel daunting to open yourself up for questions<\/a> to a room full of 80 people. But your vulnerability has an upside: You show your employees you\u2019re open. And, you source insights that you typically might not get. If your team tends to be resistant to asking tough questions, offer a few questions to your team to get the back rolling. For example you could ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n