Size Matters: Holding Productive Meetings In The Hybrid Workplace

Embracing and Strategizing for the Hybrid Workplace Allows us to Hold Productive Meetings
January 23, 2024

Flexible workdays are taking the business world by storm, with many organizations taking advantage of hybrid and remote work. And while getting together to discuss business looks different today, the power of teamwork and collaboration remains more important than ever. But with teams split between the office, home, or a third space of their choosing – finding the right opportunities to bring teams, especially smaller groups, together has become paramount. Luckily there are simple solutions to help bring us together, and research shows micro-meetings are actually more effective and productive than the boardrooms we may be used to filling.

What is a Micro-Meeting?

Micro-meetings are smaller, focused gatherings that include only key stakeholders relevant to a meeting objective. These meetings bring this small group face-to-face and can utilize hybrid technologies to connect with others if needed, leveraging the benefits of meeting in person while still accommodating remote team members. The meeting size ensures there is enough time for all in attendance to participate in the conversation, serving as a venue for quality information-sharing, while allowing the group to prioritize the most critical issues. 

Steve Jobs, the co-founder and long-time CEO of Apple, was known for keeping meetings as small and focused as possible, as retold in the book "Insanely Simple" by Jobs collaborator Ken Segall – often excusing himself or others from meetings that weren’t integral to increase the efficiency of the meeting. 

What can we learn from Jobs, one of the most influential minds in tech? Embrace the micro-meeting by being more strategic in who we meet with, why we are meeting with them, and what goals we aim to achieve with them. As hybrid workplaces replace traditional office infrastructures, micro-meetings can be the answer to how companies can holistically and effectively integrate productive workdays, in a way that makes sense for everyone both in-person and online.

How to Incorporate Micro-Meetings in your Hybrid Workplace

Instead of focusing on a complex agenda that can derail a meeting and extend its time, meeting with a smaller group while focusing on a clear goal can promote collaboration and productivity while boosting company morale and talent retention. It’s what we like to call “purpose-driven” work. At Convene, we offer several tools to help you seamlessly integrate micro-meetings into your everyday hybrid workspace and hold productive meetings: 

Meet Face-to-Face at a Convene WorkPlace

Convene’s WorkPlace offers full-service private office suites, large communal areas for collaboration, and hybrid-enabled meeting rooms, all with flexible terms and layouts designed to support micro-meetings for employees wherever they are. With over 39 Convene locations globally, with locations in cities such as New York, London, Chicago and San Francisco, companies can choose the hybrid workspace, productive physical meetings and events space, or a flexible workspace that works best for their micro-meeting strategy. 

Gone are the Days of Overcrowded Conference Rooms

The bottom line is, micro-meetings provide a win-win situation for both employee and employer. In a survey we commissioned - where nearly 1,000 full-time employees were polled across various roles, industries, and U.S. geographies - we found that less than 15% of the workforce prefers being in the office full-time, with over two-thirds preferring a hybrid schedule. Whether your employees are showing up to work in-person, virtually, or hybrid, now is the time to lean into how you can create a sustainable micro-meeting model that gives employees the flexibility and tools they need to succeed, all while increasing productivity.

To learn more about our WorkPlace and meeting solutions, explore our locations or book a Demo.