Mindfulness Tools to Improve Your Meetings.
The first tool is to start by asking the question “What’s new and good?” The purpose and benefit are to increase and problem-solving strategies. It also allows for a chance for team cohesion to improve. It helps put a positive focus on things your team is working on and derails any negativity that may come from escalated stress. This is designed to shift the brain function away from that fight or flight mode.
Facilitating that team cohesion is the second aspect of asking that starting question. This allows everyone to connect in personal and professional ways. It gives an opportunity for everyone to talk about something meaningful. Allowing this kind of opportunity helps others on your team to have better insight into who each other are and shows that you are caring and empathetic.
A secondary tool is utilizing a pause before giving feedback during a meeting. Pausing shows that you are listening to what each member of your team is saying and thus makes them feel valued in what their concerns are. Secondly, pausing allows you to process and compose your reactions to what was being shared. The reduction of responding negatively creates a level of trust amongst you and your team.
The third tool is allowing for a buffer of downtime before AND after meetings. It helps to increase focus and improve follow-through on important tasks. Allowing this downtime will help team members be prepared and focused and not dwelling on what they were working on previous to the meeting. Having that window of downtime after the meeting gives team members a chance to address the important tasks from the meeting by adding it to calendars and to reset before going back to work. It prevents the likelihood of a manic, constantly moving, mode.