Meetings don't have to be painful. These 5 strategies can help teams stay engaged.

Teams are the bedrock of many great achievements. For every trend and innovation in the marketplace, there is a cadre of people behind the scenes thinking through problems and working to make an idea a reality. But the task of building a great team and getting the most from them is a timeless challenge, made even more complicated in this era of virtual and hybrid meetings.

Workers are now carrying massive loads of digital debt, according toMicrosoft's 2023 Work Trend Index, which surveyed 31,000 people in 31 countries and included analysis of productivity signals from Microsoft 365 and labor trend data compiled by LinkedIn. Emails, meetings, and notifications are getting out of control, overwhelming employees. In fact, the company discovered that weekly time spent in meetings since February 2020 has increased threefold, and inefficient meetings were rated as the #1 productivity killer.

Yet, companies can't seem to get enough of them for many reasons, according to the Harvard Business Review. These include the fear of missing out, using meetings to ensure follow-through occurs, or, ironically, holding a meeting because attendees have forgotten what was discussed in a previous meeting. There is a clear need to cut back but also urgency for better, more productive gatherings.

In a bid to improve meetings and productivity, WorkTango gathered insights from industry leaders and analysts on how to better engage team members in meetings.

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Set expectations

Great meetings begin long before the actual time and date arrive. The invitation itself could set the tone for a productive gathering with full participation, Matt Abrahams, a lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, told the Stanford Report.

The communications expert advised avoiding the word "meeting" in the invitation's title, opting for an action-oriented name tailored to your intent. "For example, instead of 'Update Meeting' or 'Process Improvement Summit,' take a marketing mindset and have the meeting title be 'App Launch' or 'Catalyzing Research Effectiveness,'" he said.

Abrahams also suggests stating the purpose of the meeting, including a link to the agenda and often a task, question, or challenge that he wants people to tackle before the meeting. If it's a virtual meeting, Abrahams also includes tutorials for Zoom or the appropriate digital tool to help people find their way to the conversation. "It conveys that I care that everyone can be successful in the meeting," he said.

Build camaraderie

Once a meeting begins, it's all about the back and forth between participants. Innovation can often be stifled if not everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions. One study from the Ethics and Compliance Initiative found that fewer than 1 in 10 employees interviewed said their workplaces have a strong "speak-up culture."

"Workplaces with strong speak-up cultures are more likely to have workforces that operate with confidence because employees' voices are valued, heard, and taken seriously," according to ECI's report."Conversely, weak speak-up cultures tend to have workforces that operate in fear, with doubt about the confidentiality of their reports, and that keep their concerns quiet for fear of retaliation."

One way to combat the reluctance to speak up is to build camaraderie. Neurolaunch, a psychology and behavior website, suggests doing psychological safety icebreakersat the start of meetings (and even in other interactions, such as onboarding a new employee). Different from traditional icebreakers, psychological safety icebreakers are designed to encourage vulnerability, active listening, empathy, inclusivity, and reflection.

For example, the website says a leader could open meetings with questions such as, "What's one thing you're excited about today?" Or, the employees could do a "rose, thorn, and bud exercise," in which each person can share a highlight (rose), a challenge (thorn), and an opportunity (bud) from their week as a way to get a sense of everyone's differing situations.

Invite individual participation

Meetings shouldn't always be all about the managers. Allowing different people a turn at the helm can also help shape discussions and encourage new ideas. Managers can ask participants to take turns speaking or leading the meeting. Some leaders with more introverted team members might consider allowing employees to submit ideas anonymously so their ideas can be heard.

Neeta Murthy, managing director of Rekindle Global, told Forbes that she will "ask people who haven't yet had a chance to share their ideas if they'd like to add something."

Communications experts also suggest using the "parking lot method," a technique that allows ideas that are off-topic to be "parked" until the end of the meeting or a later date. Meeting facilitators can create a "parking space" on a flipchart or whiteboard for group members to write their ideas, which can be tackled outside of the meeting. The technique can help keep the meeting on course, while also acknowledging an individual's contribution.

Use positive reinforcement

Positivity can be powerful when applied strategically in the workplace. For instance, employees who have received positive reinforcement boost a team's sense of cohesion and unity, better preparing them for times of stress, according to a pilot study conducted in 2020.

Happy employees are 13% more productive, according to research from Oxford University's Saïd Business School and British telecommunications firm BT. Some examples of positive reinforcement include compliments for good work, the ability for employees to present in front of the company, and career advancement.

Positivity and politeness also matter when dealing with people who talk over their co-workers in workplace meetings. One strategy for employees who face being interrupted and talked over at work is to "compliment and build," Allison Shapira, founder of training firm Global Public Speaking, wrote in Harvard Business Review.

She advised that if someone tries to interrupt you, say, "Hold that thought. I'll turn it over to you in a minute." If on the other hand, one needs to interrupt someone speaking, use a phrase such as, "Thanks for that great point, Jeff, I'd like to build on that" to express courtesy while still getting your point across.

Meet with intention

While strategies to increase employee engagement in meetings are essential, there is only so much time in the day. Employers first must ask whether a meeting is necessary.

According to a survey of 76 companies, when meetings were reduced by 40%, productivity increased by 71%. Employees also felt more empowered and in control, resulting in a 52% increase in satisfaction.

Researchers advise that meetings should only occur when really necessary, typically to review work, clarify and validate goals and policies, or distribute work within the team. Otherwise, direct messages and emails may be better forms of communication.

Managers should also encourage their members to flag meetings that become too burdensome, making sure to clarify that there won't be judgment or punishment because of their opinions.

Every ambitious employee wants a seat at the table, but ensuring everyone has the time to be present and empowered to be heard is a challenge that a meeting lead should be continually aware of and improve on.

Additional research by Paxtyn Merten. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.

This story originally appeared on WorkTango and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.