No one likes to be in the dark, and that’s especially true for workers in the uncertain economy caused by the pandemic. Therefore, it’s imperative that you keep your employees informed and up to date on business operations and future goals.
A good way to organize and present vital information is to hold an all-hands meeting. That is, bringing together every member of your organization to share updates. These meetings don’t necessarily have to be weekly, you can hold an all-hands quarterly or annually if you have good employee communications policies in place for the rest of the year.
Here’s some information to know about preparing for, and holding, an all-hands meeting for your team.
The name ‘all-hands meeting’ comes from the phrase ‘all hands-on deck’ – a signal that requires all ship crew members to go on deck.
An all-hands meeting, also called a town hall, is a regular, company-wide gathering where all employees, leaders, and stakeholders meet to discuss the business, share information, and answer questions. It’s important that members of your team receive the same information at the same time in the same way.
It’s never a good idea to go into a meeting without an itinerary. Have a clear understanding of your goals so you can keep the meeting on track. The goals of an all-hands meeting should include:
If you have not held an all-hands yet, don’t worry. It’s never too late to get this important type of meeting on the calendar.
All-hands meetings are good for both your business’ management team and employees. Some reasons to start planning an all-hands meeting include:
The word “meeting” can be unpopular in the business world. Work meetings have a reputation of being boring and a waste of time. However, if you take time to plan, you’ll be able to stay on topic and prevent the discussion from drifting too far off course. Here are some helpful steps you can take to help you prepare:
If all-hands meetings aren’t a regular occurrence in your organization, rumors surrounding the cause of the meeting might start to fly. Let employees know the main reason for the all-hands so you don’t set off alarm bells when scheduling. A good way to set the stage is to include an agenda along with the meeting invite.
Think short and to the point. If a meeting drags on and on, the participation and engagement of your employees can drop off. Show respect for their time by sticking to the meeting schedule.
Share information that is relevant and interesting to everyone who contributes to your operation. You might also want to touch on the overall industry and other news that can affect your business.
With your entire company gathered in one place, it’s an excellent time to share team project progress or outcome, present learning opportunities, or recognize employees who have gone above and beyond. In addition to sharing the good news, don’t be afraid to share challenges and strategies to address them.
Before the meeting, ask your team to submit questions about business-related items they might be curious about. Carve out a few minutes near the end of your all-hands meetings to address questions.
When you’re hosting an all-hands meeting, make it inclusive for all employees. As many businesses pivot towards remote work, be sure to include those not on site. These days, technology makes it easy to bring people together from around the world. Recording the meeting can also be helpful so attendees can review or those who were absent can still get the information as presented.
An important factor in running effective all-hands meetings, and ensuring that they are effective, is getting feedback. You can use an easy, online, anonymous questionnaire like Survey Monkey® (SurveyMonkey.com). Ask your employees what they enjoyed about the meeting, what could be improved, and what they’d like to see changed for the next all-hands. This helps your team feel respected and heard, which can lead to better employee engagement.
Today’s remote working environment can make scheduling an all-hands meeting challenging. Be aware of different time zones so you accommodate employee schedules. For guidance on employee management when working with remote team members, review our article here: 16 Tips for Managing Remote Workers. We outline challenges you might face and solutions to keep your team performance from dipping.
In addition to sharing business information during an all-hands meeting, end with something fun, social, or interactive. This can even be done in a remote environment. Our blog posts give ideas you can use to lighten the mood and get employees engaged.