Boardroom meetings are a big part of running a business. There’s more to the meeting than ensuring each person has a part to play and trying to get them to pay attention. The very room itself can hinder productivity.
Boardroom Furniture is one of the most important investments a business can make. It isn’t just the board that meets in the boardroom. Potential new clients and employees are met in boardrooms. The boardroom needs to be a place to impress. Even if the general office is laidback, the boardroom needs a formal, yet pleasant feel.
Meeting Table
The table itself is going to be one of the first things people look at when they enter the meeting room. Their eyes might scan it, making note of the doughnuts or antipasti spread while looking for an indication of where they sit but, on some level, they’re taking in the table. An old scuffed table with wobbling legs is going to imply that the business is in trouble. Once people are sat around that table, the wobbling is going to prove a distraction. That’ll mean the meeting might run over and people won’t take in the full gist of it.
Chairs
Although the table is the first thing people notice, chairs are vital to have productive meetings. Uncomfortable seating can leave people fidgeting. Too many people moving around in their seats is distracting no matter how interesting or important the meeting is. Even if the business requires stacking chairs, there’s no reason to get uncomfortable chairs.
Space to Move
Do not try to cram a large table and 12 executive chairs into a small room. This is claustrophobic to begin with, but someone may need to abruptly excuse themself. If there’s enough space to move, this person can leave quickly without distracting from the meeting. If this person has to ask people to tilt their chairs so they can get by, the rhythm of the meeting will be lost.
Lighting
Meeting rooms need to have adequate light. This may mean having lights that can be dimmed by a remote control if a lot of PowerPoint presentations are going to happen in the boardroom.
Refreshments and breaks
For long meetings, drinks should be provided. This could be anything from cold water, teas and coffees up to juices and fizzy drinks. Snacks, breakfast, lunch or brunch should be considered when planning the meeting. People function better if they aren’t hungry or thirsty. Really long meetings should include breaks in the schedule.
Good preparation
Once the room and breaks are considered individual boardroom meetings can now be prepared. If more than one meeting is scheduled in that space in a day, make sure adequate finishing time and clean up time is considered.
Boardroom meetings should never feel like a waste of time. Having an appropriate room should be the first consideration of any meeting to increase the productivity and therefore decrease the amount of time spent in a meeting.
