Welcoming participants and room layout Tutorial

Unlock the secrets to effective meetings with our video 'Welcoming Participants and Room Layout.' Discover how the right room setup transforms energy and collaboration. Learn the impact of a warm welcome and the art of creating a conducive atmosphere. Elevate your personal and professional effectiveness—watch now for insights that can change your meeting dynamics!

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First of all,

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because this will be the time for you,

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the facilitator,

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to choose the layout of the room so that the participants feel at their best.

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The layout will change depending on the purpose of the meeting

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and the number of participants.

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Then,

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because your personalized and friendly welcome can make all the difference,

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it will positively or negatively influence the state of mind of the participants.

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First,

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how to set up your room.

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The round or rectangular table is perfect for a management committee

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or a small meeting or even a meeting for two.

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Everyone is at the same level.

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However,

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this format is unsuitable for top down information flow and if you

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want to make participants be in a positive and dynamic motion.

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If you choose this layout,

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position yourself at the most convenient place in the room

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so that you can easily stand up and write down on a screen,

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flip chart,

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or board.

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Make the participants focus their attention on the information being shared,

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which you will be close to.

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Maximize your allies by your side

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and spread them evenly throughout the room.

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Avoid having your opponents by your side.

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The layout of the forum puts the leader in the foreground.

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It is suitable for seminars,

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announcements,

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or product launches,

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as well as any meeting with a high number of participants.

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However,

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interaction and exchanges between participants are complicated.

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The U-shaped room,

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perfect layout for 6 to 30 participants.

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It allows the facilitator to move around

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and everyone to watch a slideshow or flip chart.

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Everyone has maximum visibility on the visual support,

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but also on the participants with whom one interacts.

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Tables of 2 to 3 people scattered in the space

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have the advantage of breaking habits.

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An ideal organization to encourage creativity

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and work in small groups.

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The participants and the facilitator can easily move from one table to another.

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A space or spaces can be set aside along the walls for the group or subgroups

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to stand up and work around a flip chart or Post-it notes glued to the wall.

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You also have the possibility for some meetings to

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remove all the chairs for a stand up.

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Now let's talk about welcoming the participants.

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If you are really present,

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available,

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smiling,

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and listening as soon as they arrive.

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They will have a better chance of being present,

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available,

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smiling,

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and listening afterwards.

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Arrive a little early to be the first to greet participants,

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even if it is in the hallway that you will welcome them

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because the meeting room is still occupied.

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If the room has been reserved in advance and the previous group is slow to leave,

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be firm and polite in your request to make them leave the room.

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Think first of your participants waiting at the door

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rather than the participants from the previous meeting.

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Everyone must take on their responsibility.

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Set up a friendly place.

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Bring drinks,

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coffee,

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or at least water for everyone.

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Check in advance that there is a chair for each

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person and blank sheets of paper for note taking.

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You can have soft music in the background which will stop

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at the moment the meeting begins.

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Have a flip chart or shared screen

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on which you may have noted Welcome with the names of the participants,

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or project an inspiring image or quote on the screen.

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Alternatively,

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more conventionally,

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you can set the agenda of the meeting as wallpaper.

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Make sure that the logistics,

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video projector,

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flip chart,

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markers,

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collaborative screen are already perfectly managed

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so that you can really welcome the participants and

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exchange a word and a smile with each one.

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No more time to revise your notes or set up the projector.

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Be 100% available to the arrivals.

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Shake hands with everyone by naming them.

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Tell a story.

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Make people laugh,

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and you will have set up the conviviality.

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Feel the atmosphere,

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the questions,

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and the tension

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so that you will be able to adapt your meeting to the mood of the group.

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Google's senior mindfulness instructor,

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Shade Meng Tang

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gave the Express magazine a simple mindfulness exercise.

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If you have very little time before your meeting,

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just take a deep breath.

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I am here in the here and now

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ready for the meeting.

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Take a deep breath.

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If you have a little more time.

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Take 3 breaths.

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In the first breath,

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pay attention to your body.

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Relax your body.

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In the second breath,

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pay attention to your face and all its contractions.

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Relax your face.

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In the third breath

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you wish inside of you that the person or the people

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you are going to meet and spend time with are happy.

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3 breaths can change everything.

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Shade men Tang also advises,

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if you can,

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when all the participants of the meeting are seated

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and just before starting the meeting,

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start with 2 minutes of calm silence.

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This will change the whole atmosphere and efficiency of the meeting.

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Some people use a Tibetan gong or symbols to mark the beginning of the meeting.

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As soon as the gong sounds,

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silence is made

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until the end of the echo of the gong,

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which allows a good minute of silence for all.

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So we saw how essential it was to prepare the room and

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welcome the participants in order to get off to a good start.

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In the video on starting a meeting,

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we will later see how to animate the 1st 5 minutes of the meeting.

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