Banner Blog

Follow our simple steps on how to plan a great meeting
There’s a lot more to a business meeting than just getting the relevant people into a room and waiting for the magic and ingenuity to happen.  As with anything, it requires good planning.

 Key areas to consider are:

1. Purpose/focus of meeting:
What is the meeting about? Be very precise about what the objectives are and whether or not the decision-making could be conducted in another way.

2. Who should be present?
It’s very important that the right people are in the room and that no one is there who doesn’t need to be. As mentioned before, there’s a time and money cost to all of this. It’s useful to think in terms of what everyone’s role is.

At the very least there should be a leader and a person in charge of taking - and circulating notes.

Also bear in mind that in the age of video/audio conference technology, not everyone need necessarily be there in person.

3. How often should the meeting be held?
Is this meeting a one-off troubleshooting session or is it part of a regular sequence of meetings? If the latter, does it need to occur with the frequency it has done in the past? Is it appropriate to the work calendar?

4. Time and date
Make sure everyone knows what time they’re arriving, on what date and how long the meeting is expected to last. How long will depend on what is being discussed, how many people will be involved and also which people are involved.

Some senior company members may prefer long and thorough discussion of topics . If you are using video-conferencing, factor into the equation that this may involve some participant being on different time-zones.

5. Venue
Make sure the venue is accessible to all and is of the appropriate size. Too large a space can be intimidating; too small a space can be cramped and debilitating. Make sure that the venue can support the technology that you require.

6. Equipment
At the centre of every meeting should be a good quality whiteboard. Flipcharts are also ideal for recording ideas. Make sure that you have a good supply of quality marker pens, erasers, pencils and spare flipchart pads. Make the meeting visually engaging and stylish!

7. Refreshments
Particularly if the meeting is to be a long one, you will want to make sure that tea/coffee and
biscuits, or even lunch are provided. If lunch is required, contact participants in advance to confirm any special dietary requirements they might have ie: vegetarian/vegan, gluten-free, nut-allergy etc. It may be necessary to consult a dietary guide for some requirements. This WILL be remembered in the feedback!

8. Set up in advance
Ask attendees for any items they may require and inform members of any documents to be
tabled. Make sure the agenda (more on this in a bit) is circulated amongst everyone. Also send a polite reminder to all attendees asking for confirmation of their attendance.

What makes a good leader?
Here is a list of personal qualities and attributes as well as some basic facilitation skills
and techniques that help towards being an effective meeting host.

This is by no means exhaustive:
➤➤ Excellent communication skills
➤➤ First-class organisational ability
➤➤ Punctuality and time management
➤➤ Precise attention to detail
➤➤ Conflict management skills

Be personable, approachable and charismatic; often this is best achieved by just being yourself. If you are well-liked by the group, they will be a much more co-operative audience as well as a more productive team. The idea is to move away from the image of the boring, droning, despised, corporate team leader. Part of this is cultivating a sense of quiet calmness, even if you are feeling anything but calm and collected. Remain alert and attentive and be conscientious about inclusiveness and showing respect to everyone in the group. Ultimately, the role is to provide a fair and democratic environment where people feel confident enough to be creative, communicative and collaborative.

➤➤ A talent for problem-solving
➤➤ Decisiveness
➤➤ Group management techniques
➤➤ Flexibility and adaptability

Nobo's range
Leading visual communications brand Nobo has created an innovative new whiteboard range for 2019, to seamlessly blend into the stylish and vibrant furnishings of today’s meeting spaces and offices.

The workplace is evolving towards open floor plans that boast sleek and collaborative designs, allowing individual activities and social togetherness to co-exist. This collaborative approach requires that furniture and appliances not only look appealing, but function beautifully as well.

With their new Widescreen whiteboard range, Nobo has revamped the traditional whiteboard into an iconic accessory to suit any contemporary environment. The widescreen boards allow for optimal viewing with a minimalist frame of 6 mm, more than 60% narrower than previous boards.
The new range is available in sizes spanning 32” to 85”, and four surface options, including Nano Clean™ steel for increased erasability, and Diamond Glass boards for ultimate modernity. In four stylish colours, straight or curved corners, and with a concealed or floating pen tray, there is a whiteboard for any setting.

Fundamental to the range is Nobo’s InvisaMount™ easy wall mounting system, ensuring unattractive fixings are neatly concealed. This unique mounting system saves both time and money as installation is quick, simple, and can comfortably be accomplished by one person.

The boards are supported with a wide range of Nobo products, from whiteboard markers to magnets, for optimum functionality, as well as cleaning wipes and cleansing sprays to prevent ghosting and staining.

Whether fitting a brand new office or refurbishing an existing space, a Nobo Widescreen whiteboard makes a stylish and functional addition to any furniture order.

Furniture

Find out more about Nobo’s new range, contact your Banner Account Manager or for more information on Banners furniture range, visit our website.