What peripherals will work with the Airtame Hub? Do you have a list?

Peripherals that have been tested and validated by Airtame will be posted on our website and through our purchasing partners. With that said, any peripherals that use standard USB connections can be connected directly to the Hub. If the peripheral uses a separate power supply, then this should be powered separately.

What level of Power over Ethernet is needed to power the Airtame Hub?

The Airtame Hub comes with an RJ45 port, which can power the Airtame Hub through PoE. The PoE infrastructure will require a minimum of Type 2 “PoE+”. If the network is not PoE enabled, the Airtame Hub can be powered via our power adaptor accessory.

How does the Airtame Hub work in a complex environment with multiple wireless networks?

Many users have separate networks, where there is an enterprise network for employees and a guest network for those visiting. We designed our previous products like the Airtame 2 to operate effectively in these environments and bring this same functionality to the Airtame Hub. We have user guides regarding this topic, and our support team is here to advise on how to set this up in a way that performs well and is also secure.

What conferencing platforms are on the road map? 

We are currently supporting Microsoft Teams, with Zoom support to launch by the end of 2022. We are working with other vendors on implementing support for other platforms our customers want. 

How do you control your video and audio?

Peripheral devices, including cameras and microphones, can be controlled directly through the Airtame App while in your video conferencing call. 

Will the Airtame Hub have dual screen support?

The Airtame Hub has 2 HDMI ports and will eventually support dual screens. At launch, the Airtame Hub will only support one display, but this feature will be unlocked with a firmware update and is a part of our product roadmap.

Do I need a specific version of O365 or Zoom to use these products?

No specific version is needed! Our approach to conferencing uses the web-based integrations for each conferencing provider, allowing Airtame Rooms to always run the latest version of these services. We also support authentication through Microsoft and Google, which will allow you to integrate your calendars with Airtame Rooms, and eliminate worry about having the latest version of a software or needing to perform an upgrade.

Does the Airtame Hub require an ongoing subscription?

Yes – to ensure the best possible user experience, the Airtame Hub is only offered in a bundled package which includes the hardware device and a one-year software license with an annual renewal. Airtame Rooms offers all the features of our Cloud Plus offering, as well as everything you need to run Microsoft Teams and (coming soon) Zoom calls for your hybrid meetings

Are administrative rights required for the installation of the Airtame app?

Our most frequently used version of the application does require administrative rights for the device in question. However, for guests with Windows devices, we do offer a version that does not require installation or admin rights. We also offer the ability to mass deploy the app for both Windows and Mac. 

Will this replace my Airtame 2? 

The Airtame 2 is still our top pick for wireless screen sharing and digital signage for the majority of your screens. For rooms in need of a conferencing solution, the Airtame Hub and Airtame Rooms will give you hybrid video conferencing functionality, in addition to the features you love about the Airtame 2. With a unified ecosystem, you can use a blend of Airtame 2’s and Airtame Hubs across your organization at scale. 

Want to learn more about our hybrid conferencing solution? If you missed the webinar, you can watch it on-demand here. Better yet, schedule a demo with a member of our sales team using the form below to walk you through how the Airtame hybrid conferencing solution brings simplicity to meetings. 

The post Your top questions about Airtame hybrid conferencing appeared first on Airtame.

Luckily, there is an easy way to display vital information about meeting and conference rooms and eliminate any stress. 

Meet Joan. 

What is Joan?

Joan is a simple, yet brilliant, solution for managing meeting rooms and optimizing room use. What sets their room booking software apart are the touch-screen display devices Joan offers. You can mount the devices right outside the meeting room door. They not only show meeting room information, but also let you see open time slots and book them on the spot. 

If you would rather use a larger screen, consider using Joan on displays together with Airtame’s digital signage capabilities to prominently display the latest meeting information. Joan on displays lets you see current and future meetings and their attendees, as well as any available rooms and their seating capacity. 

Let’s go over a couple of reasons why Airtame and Joan are the perfect cable-free pairing for more engaging meetings. 

Effortless meetings  

Joan integrates seamlessly with standard calendar systems. This means you only have to update meeting information in one place and the information will sync automatically to all your displays. Now you are freed up to prepare for your meeting. 

When you need to present, you can quickly share your computer screen using Airtame’s simple app. Since there are no cables plugged into your laptop, it’s also easy to switch between presenters. With hands-free presentations, you can get more hands-on collaboration done.  

No hassle installation

The huge benefit of wireless technology is that it fits in seamlessly with any office design. Since Joan device is battery-powered, you can install it pretty much anywhere. 

The Airtame device is designed to sit on the wall, behind a TV screen, or fit in a projector’s cable tray. And with the option to power the device using Power over Ethernet, Airtame is not tethered to a power outlet either. The connection between your computer and TV screen is completely wireless, meaning you’re not tied to the table either. 

The perfect match for better meetings

Joan brings you peace of mind that your meeting rooms are being optimally used. Together with Airtame’s user-friendly screen sharing and digital signage, you can have more distraction-free meetings and reach maximum productivity. 

To explore more of the Joan solution for better meetings, visit their website. 

The post Building the ultimate wireless meeting room for stress-free meetings appeared first on Airtame.

Now, why would we include this oddball in our collection of office essentials? It’s simple. Walk and talks can help break down barriers between upper management and regular employees, they have great health benefits, and they’re easy to do. To sum up: they’re everything a modern office should incorporate, even if it isn’t in an enclosed or specific space.

The walk and talk essentials:

• Walk and talks are for everyone; small companies, big companies, regular employees and managers alike
• They are probably the most informal way to conduct a meeting
• Everyone can benefit from a walk and talk. Yes, everyone

Want to know more about the other spaces and rooms that are recommendable in an office setting? Take a look at the office pod, huddle rooms, reception, conference room, and the all-hands room.

What is a “walk and talk”?

We don’t mean to seem dense, but a walk and talk is exactly that: talking while you’re walking. It’s a smart and healthy way to get some exercise while at the same time being in a business state of mind. In other words, it’s moving a meeting from a stuffy meeting room or loud office space to the fresh outdoors.

Walk and talks are mostly beneficial for no more than two or three people – simply because a sidewalk or pathway can’t accommodate more without them being left out of the conversation. That’s not to say that larger groups can’t do walk and talks at all. We’ll get back to this a little later.

Any brainstorm, collaborative spit-balling or discussion can be done on the go. That being said, there are still some meeting situations that can’t be done while walking such as when the presentation requires visual aids.

The big three factors of walk and talks

Whether you walk, limp, wheel or push yourself around, breaking up the office-based work routine can be a great way to reboot your brain and at the same time connect with your co-worker in an untraditional manner.

Informal

This really is the big keyword. Walk and talks are not for executive decision-making that should be recorded or stay private. Nor are they for meetings where detailed documentation is provided, nor meeting minutes need to be logged. Walk and talks are all of those smaller assemblies that you would normally book a meeting room for, chat about in the hallway or maybe even do at your desk.

Dynamic

Breaking away from your regular work cycle and office surroundings prove very positive for most employees. Because the smartphone stays at the desk and you don’t have to stare directly into another person’s eyes, walk and talks provide a more dynamic and relaxed setting that makes employees more focused and creative in the discussions. It also frees up meeting room space for those get-togethers where a room, visual aids, and a table are required.

Healthy

Sitting is the new smoking! Or so we’ve heard a lot the past few years. If that’s true, then most traditional desk workers are in big trouble. One way to get over this is to set up more walking meetings. That way, you force yourself and your coworkers to get closer to the daily amount of recommended steps – all while still doing the work you’re supposed to.

Getting started with walk and talks

For one-on-ones, there’s almost no excuse and it’s the easiest in the world to decide to go for a walk rather than book and find a location for the discussion. For larger groups, however, walking meetings would require much more preparation, but they aren’t impossible to conduct.

For example, the leader of the meeting could send an agenda or video material ahead of the walk and talk and ask all attendees to carefully look it over before the walk. On the walk, it would be easy to discuss the same topic or brainstorm on the project. If you want, you can leave in a few minutes before the meeting is officially over for attendees to take notes.

Are walk and talks for you?

For employees with predominantly desk-based work, walk and talks could have serious health benefits. We’ve seen many health professionals stress the fact that sitting down all day is harmful, and that employees should aim for several hours a day where they stand instead of sit. We’ve got a better suggestion. Standing is better than sitting, but walking is even better than standing – so get out there!

But there’s actually more. Studies show that walking can decrease or even prevent stress and anxiety, whereas sitting down all day does the opposite.

Now, not all meetings can or should be conducted on the go. More formal meetings that require presentation equipment, note-taking or even just a larger crowd will not benefit from being done walking style. Smaller tête-à-têtes, quick get-togethers, one-on-one meetings, and other informal discussions are perfect, though.

Who knows? You might even experience an extra surge of inspiration as you stroll new surroundings.

Any meeting rooms we or you would like us to cover? We’ll be happy to indulge!

The post Office essentials: walk and talk appeared first on Airtame.

If you’re a middle manager, you spend around 35% of your time in meetings. Upper management uses a staggering 50%. Why is that? Could it be that we’re trying to multitask – doing too many things at once – when in fact we’re not being productive at all? Or are we scheduling meetings simply out of habit?

Whatever the reason, it’s a lot of time is spend trying to bounce ideas, solve problems, and in the end get something done. All those meetings require a successful strategy. That’s why we’ve put together a list of must-know rules on how to run an efficient business meeting, both for meeting leaders and participants.

These tips aren’t universally applicable for all meetings. Some should only be reserved for the most formal. Instead, we hope the reader will look at this as a miscellaneous collection – and where the reader is free to pick and choose what could be relevant to their own environment.

Before a business meeting

What’s the most important thing to consider before a meeting? Come prepared. Not just you, the organizer, but the attendees as well. The benefits are enormous when you work smart and prep ahead.

1. Do you really need this business meeting?

Not everything can or should be resolved in a meeting. Perhaps you don’t even need to schedule it! That’s why the first and most important rule is to have a specific purpose before scheduling a meeting. If you don’t have a purpose, don’t schedule a meeting. Can the matter be resolved via email or quick chat instead? Then do so instead.

2. Only invite necessary people

Include only the people who are relevant to the discussion or have a say in the matter. Inviting too many people who are not directly involved isn’t just wasting their time, it’s wasting everyone else’s as well. Besides that, if you overcrowd the meeting room, you won’t get as much done.

Amazon’s Jeff Bezos argues that you should never have a business meeting where two pizzas couldn’t feed the entire group, the idea being that the more people in a meeting, the less productive you’ll end up being.

It used to be that a profession dictated your persona, meaning that doctors act a certain way that’s different than accountants or graphic designers. But we all communicate in different ways, just as we learn and engage in different ways too. If you understand your crowd, then you know how to keep them engaged as well.

3. Choose the right time

Organizing around multiple time zones or even just a bigger office space can be daunting. Ultimately, it’s hard to please everyone. Try to be conscientious of the fact that, if you’re organizing a transatlantic meeting, some people are just starting for the day, with the other wrapping up.

This affects the time of the meeting, but also the energy in the respective rooms, and the engagement with whoever is presenting. It’s not something you can change, but it’s something you should be mindful of and acknowledge.

4. Choose the right meeting room

Choose the meeting room applicable for the amount of people, supplies, and type of meeting you’re having. The same room doesn’t work for both brainstorming session, sprints, and 1:1s. It’s crucial to get the right environment.

Not only does the room have to fit the session you’re about to have, it needs to meet the requirements for the right type of equipment too. Think about device compatibility, screens, lighting. And don’t roam the hallways ten minutes before to make sure there’s a room available.

What room is the right room? Check out our rundown of the most essential office rooms, including the office pod, huddle room and the conference room.

5. Send an official invite

You can’t expect people to show up on time if there is no set date and time booked in their calendar. Make sure to send an official invite in advance via your preferred calendar service, so the people attending can reserve their time.

6. How much time do you need?

Have you ever been in a business meeting that lasted way longer than was necessary? Yes, us too. A lot of meetings are scheduled for a full hour, some even two, when they should only be half that time or less.

Just as you shouldn’t invite a whole list of unnecessary people, the meeting shouldn’t go on for longer than what’s needed. Ultimately, using more time than you need kills productivity and makes people lose focus.

The standard one-hour business meeting often happens because it’s easy to schedule in calendars, and, perhaps, because it’s what we’ve always done. Meetings can be shorter and longer, depending on the purpose and goals. Ask yourself before any meeting whether you need it at all, and if, how much time to set aside.

7. Incorporate minutes/round-up of the previous business meeting in the invite

Is this a recurring meeting? Then chances are you’re following up on something from the last round. Include what was discussed in the last meeting and also any accomplishments done in the meantime.

8. Outline what attendees need to bring

Must-haves to bring to a meeting include note-taking gear, such as a notepad and pen or laptop. Both can come in handy, we find. These days, it’s usually always alright to bring a laptop for taking notes, but it depends on where you’re going.

Having laptops in the business meeting environment breeds procrastination and in some cases even disrespectful meeting conduct, so be mindful of that when scheduling and recommending people to bring them. We couldn’t live without ours, just like some businesses never go anywhere without a stack of business cards. But even we like to keep the laptops out of the equation every once in a while.

9. Have an agenda

Detailing what the meeting will cover will help you and the other attendees stay on topic for the duration of the meeting. Keep the agenda simple and send it out several days in advance for people to get a chance to look it over.

10. Set success criteria and calibrate expectations

Increase business meeting effectiveness with success criteria – yes. Set goals and meet them – yes. Reflect on your progress and improve – yes, please!

It begins when you organize the meeting. Why are you meeting? What’s the objective? What do you hope to accomplish? When you send out the invite, include the overall objective. The social pressure will help you all focus on obtaining your goals and commit to not wasting too much time. It might be concealed expectations and not something you have to present to the whole attendee list.

Start the business meeting with a reminder of what success looks like for the meeting and what you hope to gain from the gathering. Afterwards, it’s easier to analyze on the progress you’ve made and where you can improve.

You shouldn’t only be looking at success criteria though, but also know how to calibrate expectations for you and your team.

One thing every manager has experienced is lack of engagement of the attendees. Even though they put a lot of time and effort into organizing the meeting, it’s impossible to account for. You have to learn the hard way that your level of commitment to the meeting might not be reciprocated. It’s a harsh reality, but you as organizer can’t be disheartened if you feel that a business meeting didn’t go as smoothly as you expected.

In the end, this is a task in getting to know your workforce better, and catering your approach to fit their expectations. Yeah, it’s a thankless task, but a necessary one.

11. Be prepared

Are your slides in order, your software up to date? Practice and revise your presentation to fit your audience and make sure everything is in order technically beforehand.

If you’re presenting in the meeting, but not hosting, and need extra aids such as a pointer, certain projector or audio, make sure the meeting environment you’ll be at has the necessary equipment ready. It’s easier to use something from the native environment rather than bringing your own, although sometimes you want to bring extras anyway.

12. Provide copies of essential documents

Send important documents prior to the business meetings instead of handing them out as the meeting starts. It creates less of a distraction if the items have already been sent out for reference. And yes, it’s useless if you send important documents 20 minutes before the meeting starts.

13. Check equipment

Make sure all attendees have access to the program you attend to use if the business meeting will be held online. Let them know in advance if they need to install an app or program for the meeting to go smoothly.

A wireless presenting solution such as Airtame helps relieve some of the stress in the situation – all attendees have to do is download the app and they are good to start presenting wirelessly.

14. Confirm the business meeting

If you’ve scheduled the meeting some time in advance, follow up with participants a day ahead to let them know that the meeting is coming up. Especially visitors will appreciate the reminder.

When confirming the meeting, you also have the chance to share new info or documents that pertain to the set agenda, and that’s often valuable at this point.

Of course, this is only relevant for some business meetings, in particular ones that are large and planned way out in advance.

15. Cancel if you have a conflict

Unless it’s an emergency, there’s no excuse for canceling a meeting minutes before it begins. Plan ahead and call in advance if you see a conflict arises.

16. Rehearse your presentation

“Sorry, I just kinda threw it together last minute,” isn’t an excuse you should ever make. Don’t assume you can wing a presentation on the spot. There’s no good answer to how many times you should rehearse because it depends on you, the venue, the audience, the attendees, basically the whole shebang.

If you’re doing a TED talk rather than a chit-chat with your co-worker, that obviously calls for a bit more practice. That being said, it’s never out of place to look over your slides a few times, correct whatever errors might still be in there, and go over what you want to say.

Additionally, rehearsing your presentation or the points of an agenda can help solidify your good arguments and cut the bad ones.

17. Consider all technical efforts ahead of time

Mostly, this comes down to preparation on the meeting leader’s behalf. Don’t assume you have enough battery on your laptop or phone to go through the meeting, don’t assume a video will load, don’t assume everything is in place … Check your setup and test it before showtime.

During a business meeting

Business meeting attendees could be calling in from the same office or from anywhere else in the world. It’s your job, as the organizer, to make sure everyone feels welcome. Use technologies that improve the visual experience and team collaboration and work on your presentation skills.

18. Don’t be late

Show up on time. There’s no excuse for being late for a business meeting, no matter what your role in it is. If you are, a simple apology to the organizer and the rest of the attendees is always appreciated, just don’t make a big fuss of it.

Even if you usually tend to arrive late for personal appointments, make an effort of always arriving a little bit early for business meetings.

Besides providing extra breathing room before an important meeting, you’ll probably be perceived as more orderly since you don’t cause unnecessary disruption.

We all have different personality types, and while being late for personal arrangements isn’t a problem in your surroundings, arriving on time is generally perceived as mandatory in professional settings.

19. Assign a leader

Someone is in charge of the business meeting, and it’s most likely the person who organized it, excluding PAs and the like. Every business meeting needs a leader, someone who knows they’re in charge of running it. Meeting leaders are key to successful meetings and make sure that actions are taken before, during and after.

The meeting leader is responsible for organizing, planning, and carrying out the meeting. That includes sending out invites, checking up on attendees, booking a room, testing equipment, ensuring that the meeting progresses in an orderly fashion and reaches its goals.

20. Assign a note-taker

While the meeting leader is in charge of communication, the agenda, even icebreaking, they might not be the right person to do the minutes as well.

Because the meeting leader is frequently speaking or being extra attentive to other attendees, it can be a good idea to assign a note-taker. The meeting leader can then sum up the notes after the meeting and send out a summary.

It can also be valuable to video or simply audio record the meeting, to make more detailed minutes later. If you’re doing this, please ask and notify the rest of the attendees ahead of time.

21. Look professional

Looking confident encourages acting confident. You shouldn’t feel like you have to dress up for a meeting, but there is a difference between meeting with colleagues and out-of-office clients.

As a general thumb rule for presenters, try not to draw attention to one specific detail in your outfit via graphic prints or colors, like popping nail color or t-shirt slogans, but instead make the overall image that of a neutral, blended, and put together individual.

22. Wait for everyone to arrive

You’re on time, but your colleagues aren’t. Do you dive in? No. Give them a couple of minutes more and wait until everyone has arrived or dialed in before you start with anything else than introductions.

That said, though, don’t wait forever for late-comers. Just like you should be on time, they should too, and you don’t have to encourage impoliteness.

23. Know where to sit

This might seem like an oddity to mention, but the seating position in a meeting room actually says something about people’s perception of you, your relationship with others in the room, and what you want to convey in the situation of the meeting. Not all seats are created equal, so choose wisely when picking a chair.

Are you a Power Player, Ally, Contender or Sideliner? Research shows you should use your boss as a compass in a meeting – if you want to be heard, sit close to them. If you want to go unnoticed, sit far away from them, but not opposite.

24. Make introductions

Welcome all attendees as they show up either in person or online. If it’s a business meeting with externals or new members of the team, be sure to take a turn around the room for everyone to introduce themselves and their role so they can all become acquainted.

25. Be polite with your smart devices

It’s not always necessary to turn your mobile device completely off but if you’re in doubt whether or not it’s appropriate (it almost never is), turn it off just to be sure. Or put in on silent, flight mode or anything non-disturbing that won’t suddenly flare up in a flash of sound and noise. Even better – don’t bring it into the business meeting at all.

The same goes for laptops. Are laptops approved devices for taking notes? Do you need it for presenting? If not, close it or stow it away entirely. If you start using your phone or laptop to check emails or other irrelevant stuff, other people will likely follow suit.

26. Limit clutter on your slides

Why is this important? The answer is that anyone can read something without the need for a meeting. Make sure your presentation offers new insights that can be digested at a glance.

With less clutter, attendees will focus on you, the presenter, instead of the slideshow. Secondly, it’s easier on the eyes. Leave a decent amount of white space instead of cluttering your slides with extraneous words, numbers or images.

If you don’t overcrowd your slides, you’ll be able to grab the attention of attendees much better. There’s a small test you can try to make sure people will comprehend your slides. Will they get what’s happening by glancing at your slide for just 3 seconds?

Duarte Design uses a clever analogy: Your slides are like billboards, while you, the presenter, are the main road, the main focus. Just like a driver shouldn’t take their eyes off the road for too long a time, the audience’s main focus should lie with you.

27. Don’t interrupt

Even business meeting situations can create an excitable or animated environment, with passionate discussions and heated debate. Keep your cool and let others finish talking before speaking yourself. If you have trouble remembering your thoughts, write down notes – as long as it doesn’t distract you from listening.

28. Be mindful of different personalities

Not everyone thrives in business meeting environments, which is a big challenge for managers in charge of a mixed team. There are the outgoing, gregarious folk that love open discussions and presenting, versus those perhaps more meditative in thought, precise and reserved.

The latter can end up switching off in meetings, or feeling uncomfortable having their opinions raised. In these scenarios, it’s good to consider how much pre-work can be expected in a business meeting. This is likely to be where the more introverted colleague can shine.

As we outlined in rule 2, not everyone needs to be included in all meetings. We like to think of the dinner party analogy: you need to find the right mix of people that play well off each other.

29. Listen!

Listening to what others say is crucial to any business meeting situation. But not only that, showing that you listen can make a difference too. Adjust your body language to show enthusiasm, even if you’re participating via video chat.

Research shows that being a good listener can even make you a better leader, as indicated by The New York Times.

Trying to multitask in a business meeting tells your colleagues that they’re not as important as whatever you’re doing and it’s contagious. Focus, listen attentively and see if your topic isn’t covered sometime during the meeting.

30. Don’t dominate discussions

You’re clever, you’re smart, you have something brilliant to say. But as with interruptions, dominating the business meeting isn’t a welcome approach unless you’re the meeting leader and it serves a specific purpose.

To control who can speak at any given time, some even use a physical aid like a ball. Hopefully, that’s only required for the most unruly of candidates.

31. Don’t procrastinate

Right, so we all procrastinate from time to time, and that’s okay. In business meetings, not so much. It’s up to the organizer to make sure the meeting is well thought out, not too long and has a clear purpose. It’s easy for attendees to drift or want to focus on other items if things feel scrambled.

Don’t get easily distracted when discussions stray off-topic, help others stay focused, and adjust your body language. These points will all help put an end to procrastination.

32. Make eye contact

Don’t be awkward: eye contact is a crucial factor in any good meeting. It’s a powerful way to engage others, either by inviting them into the conversation, letting them know they’re next in line to talk or gesture to someone that they should participate in the conversation.

Give it a try and see if you can’t manage the room a little better just by using those baby blues.

33. Follow good online conference etiquette

If you’re in an online conference call, you should make sure your profile picture and username are both appropriate. Test volume levels right away and mute when not speaking.

If you’re sharing your screen, close all other irrelevant programs and tabs on your computer. Airtame has just released Single Window Sharing, a feature that allows you to share only one window of your choosing while all other windows stay hidden.

34. Stay on topic

If you stray off topic from time to time – it happens in most business meetings – try to lead the conversation back to the main purpose. If the topic of conversation drifts for too long, everyone should be responsible for raising a hand, flagging it down, and bringing the topic back to the center.

It’s not only acceptable but necessary to let the other attendees know if the conversation has gone rogue.

35. To humor or not to humor?

Using humor is tricky and not always well-received. In a setting with closer teammates, it can be relatable and even help release tension, whereas it can cause unnecessary tension if used towards clients or people you don’t know well.

If you decide to go down the joking road, make sure it’s appropriate enough to suit your audience, no matter how well you know them. Dad jokes and puns can be quirky and fun, but sometimes it’s better to tone it down just a notch so as not to step on anyone’s toes.

36. Know your audience

There are several relevant points to make adherent to the audience. First of all, use a tone that is appropriate. Think about age, demographics, background, etc. Secondly, choose a topic that is relevant. People are not likely to listen to you if you’re not catering your message to them.

In other settings however, you also have to consider cultural boundaries. Things such as hierarchy, hand gestures, speaking out of turn, even the length of the meeting can all be connected to a specific cultural setting – and possibly not anything like what you’re used to.

Punctuality is essential in several Asian countries, and so is a hierarchical establishment of the business meeting’s participants. Gifts are common courtesy, and sometimes drinking is even part of the meeting as well.

37. Follow time constraints

Rule 5 was a big one: when you’ve booked the right timeframe, be sure to stick to it. Follow the timeline you set up for the meeting and end the meeting on time. Don’t simply run overtime. It is at the very least unprofessional, demotivating, and can have a knock-on effect on any meeting that follows.

Instead, show some humility and publicly acknowledge that you tried to cram too much into the one meeting, and that a follow-up will be scheduled.

38. Stay calm

It’s natural to be nervous in a business meeting, but try to make an effort to keep your cool. Staying calm and presentable – i.e. how you carry yourself – is very important and can help lead the way for clear content and communications thereof.

39. Talk confidently

See point 28 – not everyone is a natural in a business meeting setting, and that’s okay. Even the shyest people will find that talking confidently can convince themselves and the audience they’re talking to. In fact, public speaking can even provide quite a rush because the adrenaline is pumping and you’re pushing yourself.

Have you heard the latin phrase “errare humanum est”? It means that it’s human to err, and it’s more than fitting for public speaking. Mistakes are alright, you can even throw in a little light humor, if that’s your style, to help ease you into it.

When you do speak, don’t rush. If anything, speak so slowly it feels unnatural to you. We promise you, it sounds just fine.

40. Stay present

Your body language isn’t just important for active listening. You’re always able to tell if people want to be in the room or if they’d rather be somewhere else. Not every business meeting is a party, but it would be offensive to show that you’re bored and feel like your time is wasted.

Likewise, you’re also able to tell from the body language of other meeting participants how they feel. That can often be a good hint as to how the meeting’s going.

41. Help others stay present

Whether you’re the meeting organizer or a participant, don’t be afraid to call out others present that you feel are disengaged, talking, or in any way distracting the flow. Even the most ineffective of meeting presenters deserves the respect of active engagement from their audience.

42. Give space to different types of workers

More and more companies are choosing to board the remote train, encouraging a global focus in the workplace, and people working from all over the world. But those working remotely in coffee shops or secondary office spaces can quickly feel sidelined and disengaged if you don’t flesh out a functional remote infrastructure.

Include remote workers or those in secondary office locations as often as possible to ensure visibility into each other’s activities. They are as much part of the team as you are, and keeping them in the loop will help you all stay focused.

Perhaps even allocate more time to these people than those in the primary setting to make sure they feel welcome and heard.

43. Schedule time for breaks

During lengthy business meetings of more than an hour, schedule time for breaks and let people know about them as part of the agenda. This will help them stay focused. It also demonstrates a degree of empathy, highlighting that you know a toilet break, coffee run or quick clearing of the air is important to keep the energy up.

44. Move around

Meeting room arrangements don’t have to be old-school, boardroom style seating. No seriously, it’s not all knights of the round table and nothing else. Different kinds of rooms heavy on technology and dynamic presentations are taking over, fostering collaboration and freedom to share ideas.

Use Airtame and a pointer so you aren’t tethered to the front of the room. The freedom to room helps you establish more presence and engage better with your colleagues.

45. Leave time for questions

It’s an essential closing for every business meeting – and an amazing way for you to both clarify any discrepancies and improve for next time. You’ll probably find that having a dedicated time slot for questions at the end is more productive than people constantly raising their hand and interrupting during the meeting.

If the crowd has so many well-thought-out questions that there’s not enough time to bring up all the points at the allotted time for questions, ask if people would like to stay and finish the discussion. But give everyone the opportunity to leave on time before making assumptions.

After a business meeting

Business meetings are more often part of a larger project or strategy. Stop thinking of them as events that have a definite beginning and end. Keep yourself and your files in order to make sure you’re always ready to pick up where you left off.

46. Thank everyone for attending

If you called the business meeting, make sure to thank everyone for attending. It makes a difference and doesn’t cost you anything.

 

47. Follow up with notes/minutes

Share notes and reminders after the business meeting. If no notes were taken, thank everyone for attending by sending a quick email where you let them know you appreciated their time.

48. Follow up on action items

Action items should be sent around after the business meeting as a reminder of its focal points. Don’t forget to assign someone responsible for them because they’re useless without. Set deadlines as well as soon as possible.

If you promised to deliver on something promptly after the meeting, follow up immediately afterward.

49. Ask for – and give – feedback

All of us have likely tried a form of the feedback sandwich – with more or less luck. But besides criticism disguised as a compliment, there are other, arguably better ways to deliver constructive criticism. It’s imperative in a working environment to master the skill of giving feedback, both positive and negative, and you’d be surprised at how many actually want it.

In fact, studies show that employees crave feedback. Learn to comment constructively on the meeting itself, and the presenter. This feedback can, of course, be submitted in person, but there are also some great feedback apps like Duuoo that allow for anonymous communication.

50. Assess and adjust

Following up on the first item in this post, consider if you need the meetings at all. Not all recurring business meetings are productive, and you shouldn’t schedule meetings just for the sake of meetings.

Can something be changed to make your meetings more successful? Try to change things up every once in a while and see if you can make them even better.

No more passive business meetings with Airtame

Having Airtame in meeting rooms gives everyone the ability to present and easily connect. It allows for more freedom and a dynamic setting where opinions and ideas flow more freely. Since it’s a bring-your-own-device kind of solution, you’re not risking alienating anyone either.

Our mission is to go from passive business meetings with short attention spans to meeting settings where everyone can present easily and without disrupting the whole session.

While something like proper business meeting etiquette is indispensable to a successful meeting setting, we also believe Airtame can help alleviate some of the strain often experienced in those situations.

Ready to learn more about Airtame? Check out our recorded demos for business and education.

The post The 50 golden rules for good business meeting etiquette appeared first on Airtame.

Now that we’ve taken the first bite out of 2019, we think it’s the perfect time to speculate on the future of the workplace, for this year and beyond.

Here are some of the trends and changes we foresee coming to offices across the globe this year.

Technological office trends that shape the digital workplace

The future is wireless

The smart office is a reality. We’re not just connected to each other, all of the things in an office building can be interlinked. Smarter technology gives us the freedom to roam and brings about a more dynamic way of working.

Being connected means we gain specific insights into performance stats that can help us improve our routines. Lighting, ventilation, heating, room scheduling, presenting … all of it becomes a breeze when we’re hooked up wirelessly to an intelligent network.

An intelligent office is more dynamic and efficient, and we think we’ll start seeing more of that in 2019. Going in a more wireless direction means that your business becomes more agile, intelligent, and collaborative.

Going BYOD saves time and money

BYOD or “bring your own device” is steadily becoming more popular in many workplaces. It gives employees who bring their own smartphone, tablet, laptop or “virtual assistant”, such as a smartwatch or voice-activated assistant, more freedom to do their job when and as they please.

In addition, employees actually work faster when they utilize devices they are already familiar with and it reduces the cost of having to equip every employee with tech gear they might not be comfortable with.

That means that personal smartphones, wearables, and applications stop being only at-home playthings and instead become increasingly integrated into the workspace. They keep track of our progress, schedule appointments, respond to messages, and help us with errands and meetings. As the virtual assistants become more sophisticated, they will eventually free up a lot of time for us, the employees.

We predict even more mobile assistance this year as well as more focus on BYOD environments (and the security issues that follow).

Watch this short video explaining how the Airtame 2 works in a BYOD environment:

The Digital Age calls for enhanced security

With more wireless connections and many mobile devices hooking up to internal networks, we’ll also see more data stored on the cloud. It’s a big blow to companies if that data isn’t secured well enough. We predict more focus on cybersecurity efforts in the 2019 workspace.

And that’s not all. Physical privacy is top-of-mind too. Companies are also opting for more personal privacy by creating smaller, enclosed spaces where employees can take a phone call or meeting without the rest of the office eavesdropping, for example, an office pod or call booth.

If you need a guiding hand, check out our article on obtaining enhanced network security.

Is a reception area for you?

The reception area isn’t necessary for all sizes and shapes of organizations. We made a small guide here to help you figure out if it’s for you. For larger companies with many visitors, a reception or lobby is absolutely vital, but the very nature of the reception space is seeing some change.

There’s isn’t always as great a need for a receptionist to be tied full-time to the front desk. Instead, companies are using smart sing-in kiosks and other signage solutions to welcome and guide visitors. Technology can help guide, inform, and support your guests in their visit, and smart solutions like sign-in kiosks and proper digital signage are just a few of those initiatives.

Workspace design trends that increase employee engagement

Healthy people = good work

It’s a pleasant transformation to see companies focusing more on the humans that do the work rather than the other way around. After all, we spend a good chunk of our lives in the office, and if we connect with our workspace and feel comfortable there, we’re more likely to invest energy in it. If you want an employee that feels ‘at home’ and great about putting in more time, invest in comfort and wellness.

But how, you ask? It’s all about the way we perceive the rooms we work in. If you include elements that are dynamic and stimulating, it makes for a happier work environment. Sunlight, good air quality, plants, healthy snacks and access to outdoors can all help counteract the static, dormant conditions of sit-still work. And if you want to take it even further, opting for recycled work materials, a clean work environment, and CSR programs can make a big difference too.

According to the Harvard Business Review, wellness programs don’t work unless leaders create a culture of understanding and acceptance. We think corporate wellness will be more inclusive and thought-out in 2019. When done right, wellness programs can boost confidence (and thus productivity) as well as prevent burnouts.

Once you go “green” …

Every office creates waste. The more people, the more waste. Soda cans, plastic bags, food waste … In 2019, we think employers will opt for greener, more environmentally friendly solutions and focus on recycling and finding simple ways to be more energy-efficient.

We’re starting 2019 off at Airtame with two recycling bins reserved for cans, one for used batteries, and a firm promise to eliminate plastic in the kitchen.

The “green” mindset doesn’t stop there, however. Including nature-elements such as ‘green’ walls or natural elements like wood will make the office seem alive and welcoming as opposed to cold and mechanical.

Office trends that create a “home”

Diversity drives innovation

Embracing people from different cultures than your own can prove to be enriching and productive for the work environment. Just take a look at us – 90 people and 30 nationalities represented, and we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

We see this as a continuing, deeply significant trend. Human Resources and People teams this year will look into how they can continue to grow businesses in ways that positively reflect cities worldwide. Moreover, they will focus on how to do this in a way that is constructive for company growth.

But diversity is so much more than a language or skin-deep construct. It also reflects how multi-faceted the thoughts and feelings of the staff body might be, and how these teams have to go to some lengths to accommodate every type of professional.

Increased flexibility boosts satisfaction

Experience-based office designs, remote working, shared office spaces … yes, the 2019 workforce is even more focused on flexibility in the workspace, and a modern office needs to take that into account.

Coworking spaces around the world (here’s a list of our favorites) have already embraced this trend of increased collaboration, flexibility, and community management, but more ‘traditional’ companies are starting to follow suit.

We predict that companies will allow for more personalized spaces in the office, such as remote working zones and designated team collaboration areas.

A fat paycheck isn’t everything

A fat paycheck just won’t cut it anymore. Attracting and retaining top talent requires intimate knowledge of the individual and their individual needs. Playing around with these perks will ensure that employees feel supported, even empowered, rather than looking at them as mere money makers.

Something that can make a big difference to a lot of employees is a retirement plan or health insurance. Struggling with financial challenges is emotionally challenging for anyone experiencing them, so an effective financial program will eliminate that stress and leave the worker less worried and therefore more focused on the tasks at hand.

Others perks could be stock options, tuition grants, paying off student loans, unlimited holiday, unlimited remote work, choice of hardware … the list is long and the options are many, and choosing just one or a few of them is sure to leave a lasting, positive impact on employees.

Community management drives company culture

Community management is hard in this period of individualism. The employee experience and the human aspect should, therefore, be prioritized. That means workspaces need to cultivate community-like environments with creative spaces to share and facilitate ideas. Breaking down walls and designing recreational areas a good way of evoking that feeling.

Business meeting trends that streamline working

Huddle spaces help productivity

With an increasingly diverse workforce and more flexible arrangements, the 2019 workspace needs more than just a conference room and cubicles. Huddle rooms or smaller collaboration spaces give teams the privacy and collaboration tools they need to be productive (described by us here).

Stay aligned with virtual meetings

Because the number of independent contractors and remote workers is rising, the need to dial in from afar is greater than ever. The remote workers need to be kept up to date with what’s going on at headquarters and businesses need to tune in to what their clients are saying on the other side of the globe.

That’s why we’ll see an increase in virtual meetings in 2019. AV gear is now so good that it’s almost the same as being in the room with the person you’re calling, so there’s no excuse not to equip your office with conferencing equipment. It reduces cost in the long run as you won’t have to travel further than your designated meeting room to have a chat with someone far away.

People matter more

In 2019, there’s an increased focus on people metrics. How you design your workspace plays a significant role in performance and productivity. Physical working conditions, mental health transparency, and an overall increase in flexibility. Why? Because people matter. Support the employees and you will reap the benefits.

These are just some of the office trends we can start to predict from the communication we have with over 18,000 organizations. Any we missed? What are you excited about seeing? We’d love to hear your thoughts.

Additionally, if you’re curious to kit your office space out with Airtame, reach out. We’re here to help.

The post The future of work: office trends in 2019 appeared first on Airtame.

Whether the impression is good or bad depends on you, but also the aesthetics of the reception area or lobby – the first thing your visitors will come across when they enter your workspace.

It’s the first room you encounter in any business, and that makes it a very prominent space to influence your guests. That’s why we included the reception area in this article series so you can decide for yourself whether it’s beneficial for your company (hint: it’s not necessarily for everyone).

The essentials:

• The reception area can be big or small, but they should be easy to figure out no matter the size
• It provides an excellent opportunity for reflecting your brand’s values and making a good first impression
• Companies can benefit from a visitor management system and clever signage options

Check out the other rooms we’ve explored previously: the all-hands room, the conference room, office pods, and the huddle room.

What is a reception area?

The reception area is the first room you enter in a workspace. It’s located by the entrance and can be either big or small. Its primary function is to greet visitors and guide them on their way to meetings, but it has many other uses besides that.

It can provide a waiting area for guests, delivery, and pick-up of parcels – besides an overview of the office. It’s the physical space that directly reflects your company’s values, which is why it’s so pertinent that you put some thought into how it looks.

Welcoming staff

A “floating receptionist” could be sufficient in mid-size companies, whereas larger companies need a full-time receptionist. Having someone dedicated to taking care of guests, packages and incoming calls frees up time from other employees and exudes a sense of order. For a smaller business, however, a sign-in kiosk and good visitor management system is more than enough.

A receptionist is often likely to double as an office manager or People Operations employee.

Security

The reception area is accessible to many people, so video surveillance is a necessity – unlike any other space in an office, where video will most likely frustrate employees (and could be illegal).

A well-thought-out Visitor Management System (VMS) is also an excellent initiative for enhanced security if you don’t have a full-time receptionist to check on the entrance area.

What is a VMS? It’s something we see trendy in more technologically advanced businesses. Ostensibly, it can be anything as basic as a propped up tablet device that allows guests to check-in to the office and obtains a visitor pass if necessary, while notifying the associated employee that their guest(s) have arrived.

Inviting

The reception area is the first thing in-person experience for any guest, and it reflects the way you run your business. Every office is messy, but your reception area should never be.

Don’t use the reception area as a holding area for trash, food deliveries or stacked packages. Keep it comfortable, yet elegant. Clean and tidy, yet inviting.

High-traffic

This is such an obvious point but nonetheless very important to remember.

Regardless of what it looks like, this area is bound to have a lot of foot traffic both from employees and visitors.

A reception area that only looks beautiful when vacant is not a properly functioning one. Allow for easy movement and put in areas to wait, sit or relax.

On-brand

The reception area is not only your chance to make a positive first impression it’s also the perfect opportunity to showcase your brand identity. As this is the first glimpse of your company that visitors will get, it plays a vital role in the interaction you will have with them.

What message do you want to convey? What clients are likely to come by and what do you want them to understand about you as they enter your workspace?

Match the decor to your audience, show off your product and personality if it makes sense. If you specialize in AV gear, why not showcase it right there in the reception area?

How to set up a successful reception

The reception is nothing without a defined procedure for visitor management. This is something HR or the People team should factor in and define for the company. What is your approach to welcoming guests? How do you greet visitors and what do you want them to think about the business as they enter?

You need a waiting space, but not necessarily a front desk. If you have many visiting teams, make sure there’s enough room for them to gather while they wait on you. We recommend a few couches, armchairs, coffee tables, coat racks … things that feel comfortable.

People likely (hopefully!) won’t be staying long in the reception area, so consider something comfy.

If it doesn’t make sense to hire a full-time receptionist, go for a sign-in kiosk instead. A sign-in kiosk is actually a good choice no matter the size of your company because it alerts the right people and keeps track of visitor data.

Make sure the high-traffic reception area is secure, perhaps even under video surveillance. If you don’t have a receptionist stationed full-time in this space, you’re giving unwanted guests easy access to all the bling you’ve put in there.

Ample storage, the right furniture, durable floors, mats, and runner rugs all attribute to a more functional reception.

Even if you’re not keen on using your reception area as a way to communicate your brand values, there should still be something concrete about your business – so people know they are in the right place.

And, above all else, make sure it’s inviting! Don’t leave last week’s coffee cups or a pile of mail by the front door to trip over.

Reception area technology

It’s no secret that we’re big fans of digital signage. The reception area is the perfect place to showcase signage TVs – and Airtame is a perfect multi-function device to help you deliver informative, useful or playful content to visitors.

Elsewhere in tech, the sign-in kiosks we mentioned are actually already quite common in reception areas, and they really lift the purpose of the room.

Using that, visitors feel taken care of while you get the right notifications. In a bigger company, a large display could also be used to relay relevant information such as public company news, values, recent successes, use cases – you name it.

Is a reception area for you?

As we’ve pointed out a few times already in this article, the reception area doesn’t make sense for companies of all shapes and sizes.

Established, larger companies that highly prioritize security and put a lot of value in an external aesthetic can benefit greatly from having a designated and well-designed reception area.

Some more experimental companies or those that advocate for a flat hierarchy might find the very concept of a reception area and receptionist old-fashioned; that it’s the responsibility of everyone in the company to carry the brand values and welcome guests when necessary.

Of course, any company with many visitors is bound to put some thought into how they greet their guests, and the reception area provides the perfect opportunity to do just that. So if you decide to have a reception area, you can watch this short video and learn how Airtame can transform your blank standby screens:

The post Office essentials: the reception appeared first on Airtame.

As the workforce changes and we slowly embrace more remote workers and other company structures than the rigid office hierarchy, so does the office space. One thing that doesn’t change, however, is the need to meet. For some meetings and people, the perfect place is a conference room.

Unlike our previous articles in this series – which covered relatively new office essentials like all-hands rooms, office pods, huddle rooms – the conference room is a relatively well-known concept and a fixture in an office space. Nevertheless, it can be challenging to pin down just what makes a conference room a “conference room”.

In this article, we hope to bring some clarity to what the conference room, its purpose, and what sort of companies could benefit from it in their workspace.

Curious about the rest of our office essentials? So far, we’ve tackled the All-hands room, office pods and huddle rooms.

The conference room essentials:

• Conference rooms are for conference calls, board meetings, management discussions, and other major decision-making situations
• They are some of the most elaborate meeting rooms in an office, both in terms of AV gear and furniture
• Only companies of a certain size or maturity will truly need conference rooms. Smaller, collaborative workspaces, perhaps not so much

What is a conference room?

Staff meet-ups, client meetings, training sessions, interviews and other scheduled conferences (video or in-person). The conference room is medium-sized or large and is likely a room that caters to monthly reviews, board meetings and sharing info across teams – and yes, you guessed it, conference calls.

In our earlier piece in the “office essentials” series, we covered the all-hands room. Whereas the all-hands room should be big enough to accommodate the entire staff, a conference room varies in size, but generally accommodates 5-20 people, depending on the size of your company and team.

While similar in size and presentation, you could argue that the key differentiator between a conference room and an all-hands room is the audience. A conference room fits right in within a more enterprise-oriented business, and might be a little more “suit and tie.”

It’s also the place where a board meeting would be held and should come with a degree of severity to reflect that.

A conference room gives you a chance to connect with your entire workforce and clients, no matter where they’re located, because it’s fully equipped with conferencing gear and easy to use technology.

The key elements of a conference room

Setting budgets, conducting interviews, closing client deals, and setting a new direction for the company. They all have the conference room in common; where a majority of all important decisions could be best made. But how do you make sure it’s an effective space for problem-solving and critical thinking? The answer lies in what you put inside the four walls of the conference room.

Ready to use

For a conference room with many frequent external visitors and clients coming in, it’s of the utmost importance to find the right equipment that’s simple to use for both employees and guests.

Elaborate

Whereas some of the other rooms you’re likely to encounter in an office environment require versatile furniture that can be used both for formal and informal settings, the conference room likely isn’t one of them.

That’s because of the formality of what goes on in the room, and the need for the room to be always ready for clients and executive discussions. A vital room such as the conference room is a little less lax than other rooms, and the equipment and furniture should reflect that.

The right furniture makes all the difference. An oval, rectangle or U-shaped conference table is a must, and so are comfy, yet corporate chairs that are comfortably spaced to allow enough elbow room. This is not the place to cut expenses as the conference room is what clients and other guests encounter first, and thus a great way to make a good first impression.

Bookable

Conference rooms are mostly for larger meetings, often with external visitors or clients. Because of that, we advise that conference rooms should be booked in advance.

Conference rooms also tend to be more elaborately equipped, with tools reserved for specific purposes, and therefore shouldn’t be occupied at whim.

AV tools

A conference room is a space for conference calls. That’s why it’s essential to have a big enough screen, good web camera and conferencing system so people can be seen and heard. Smartboards and whiteboards could also prove useful.

Comfortable lighting

Lighting has a significant impact on the quality of a meeting or the presentations within. Harsh lighting wears people out quickly or might even provoke headaches – not something you want in your business meeting. Go for something that isn’t too direct and feels natural, comfortable.

Privacy and isolation

Because of its purposes, the conference room should have a degree of isolation, privacy, and soundproofing. Think of it as one of the main places to have confidential conversations (board meetings, product launch talks, classified information). Thin walls or too many glass panels will give away the topics of discussions while a well-designed conference room allows you to keep it inside.

How to set up successful conference rooms

Make it neutral, not flashy or overly distracting. Because the conference room is very business-oriented, you should outfit it with a board table, or at least an “in-the-round” setting.

While all that sounds stiff, a conference room is also an excellent space for reminding employees and guests alike of your company values. Showcase them on the wall and use them as both a means to steer the conversation and shape your decision making.

Adding a dash of your company spirit or tasteful art will elevate the room and provide a nicer, more cozy atmosphere for employees and clients to conduct their business.

Even the color on the walls can change the whole atmosphere. Go for calm, douce colors light like pastels to promote focus and relaxation. Brighter colors, on the other hand, invoke creativity and passion – great for innovation. In a conference room setting, we recommend the subtler tones.

The conference room is not the place for lounging or solo activities but should be reserved for management meet-ups and other important decision-making situations. That’s why bean bags or other types of lounge furniture is a no-go here, whereas a large meeting table is a must, and so is comfortable conference chairs (we’re talking chairs with armrests and good back support).

Conference room technology

Because the conference room is used for monthly reviews, data presentations, board meetings and so forth, visual displays are needed to highlight relevant information, and interconnectivity is key.  

Airtame really steps up to the mark here. It is a wireless streaming solution that works well and is simple enough for people of all IT skill sets. It’s the kind of reliable conference room tech that makes meetings run without difficulties. It’s also platform-agnostic, which means that people can join with their individual devices and share information smoothly. 

Good conference room gear is often priced pretty steeply, a fact that keeps many from getting the right solution for them. Not Airtame, though. It’s budget-friendly, and besides that designed with your convenience in mind – because conference room tech shouldn’t take center stage, just like the price

Are conference rooms for you?

Conference rooms are arguably only necessary for companies of a certain size or stature. They hold a symbolic weight of the hierarchical structure, and distance (often the board table) between employees. They are maybe not so relevant for companies with a more flat hierarchy and “open” work environment – like the one we have at Airtame.

If you’re a smaller-sized organization, you might not have the space needed to provide a good conference room setting. But fear not, there are several shared office spaces or coworking spaces out there that let you rent a room for single purposes or events. Check out our post on some of our favorite coworking spaces here. 

If you do have the size and maturity that calls for conference rooms, remember that they will be the face of the company. A poorly designed conference room with bulky, outdated tech solutions and ancient furniture doesn’t signal success when your clients come to visit you, nor will it foster good business practice.

A well-designed conference room, on the other hand, with state-of-the-art tech gear, modern details and a pinch of personality creates an atmosphere of relevancy and confidence.

Got an Airtame question? Reach out to our customer success team

The post Office essentials: the conference room appeared first on Airtame.

In every office space, you need an area dedicated to bigger team assemblies. Room for all departments, individuals and maybe some visitors. That would be the all-hands room.

The essentials:

• All-hands rooms can be committed meeting spaces or double up as a common area
• They need to be kitted with good tech, most notably microphones/presentation tools
• In some form or another, we deem them essential for a scaling company of 30+ people

Check out our rundown of how you can improve your workspace with huddle rooms and office pods.

What is an all-hands room?

It’s a sort of town hall meeting space where everyone at the office gathers regularly to share updates and accomplishments, bring wider team alignment or host Q&A forums. In the all-hands room, you can gather for all-hands meetings.

The name really says it all, doesn’t it? An all-hands room is crucial for work environments that are advocating for flat hierarchy and it’s a space that encourages people to speak their mind, without being intimidated.

All-hands meetings are about the team. Team wins, team learning, team strategy. Running regular all-hands meetings has the benefit of empowering your entire staff as well as keeping them in the loop. And if you – like us – have remote workers in other offices or locations, this is the perfect time to connect with them as well.

At Airtame, we call it the all-hands room, but perhaps you call it the general meeting room or something entirely different.  We use the second largest room in our office because the largest is used for dining and not equipped with the VA gear we want for our all-hands meetings. It’s not perfect, but we’ll get back to that.

No matter the size of your company, you must have an area that can accommodate everyone for when you need to share a collective message. You can use the all-hands room for:

• Larger meetings
• Q&A sessions
• Company celebrations
• Updates
• Company-wide tactics
• Open forums
• Workshops

The key elements of an all-hands room

The all-hands room could be a room that’s already doubling as something else; your canteen, reception, larger conference room – maybe it’s a separate room, though ideally, it’s its own space.

Large

That the all-hands room is big should come as no surprise, seeing as it hypothetically needs to fit all employees in there, plus a few guests. Of course, as a smaller organization, your all-hands room doesn’t have to be extremely spacious, but if you have a large staff, then your all-hands room needs to match that.

Good seating

Equipment is crucial for the all-hands room, but so is good seating. We think desks aren’t quite so important – they would make the space too formal, and thus less approachable for people to speak their mind or, hint hint, raise a hand.

That being said, they do need a place to sit while meetings take place. Benches, for example, are a no-go as there’s no back support. We can testify to that! Find comfortable seats for everyone with good back support. Back support doesn’t mean bean bags – you don’t want participants to doze off either.

Well-equipped

Because it’s one of the largest rooms in your office needs to meet so many different demands, it should have the equipment to cater to all requests.

We’re talking big screens – quite possibly more than one – plus microphones and camera equipment to support video conferencing with your remote team members or clients. Collaborative tools such as whiteboards or interactive sketch boards will help flesh out all of the ideas that pop up when you all meet and get creative.

Flexible

What might be the biggest room in the workplace shouldn’t only be reserved for special gatherings once in a while. Design your all-hands room in such a way that it will meet various meeting needs – both for employees and outside clients who may want to utilize that space. Otherwise, this huge conference area will just waste space.

Ventilated and well-lit

Often overlooked in big spaces but certainly one of the most important points to make. A lot of people in the same, big room is bound to come with poor air quality. You want to make sure you can crack a window in the peak of summer, and that the lighting is inviting, though not dim. What you should go for is neutral.

How to set up a successful all-hands room

It’s important to have an area in your workplace where people can get together for bigger events or discussions. It should be separate from the main workspace so as not to distract those who might not be a part of whatever is going in there.

Additionally, if this room or area doubles up as another space (canteen, reception, work area, etc.) then you need to be able to transform it with ease so that it takes on more “weight” as a serious conference space.

An idea could be to have room dividers that easily slide to the side when you need the whole space ready but can serve as decorations or dividers for when more than one group want to make use of the space.

It’s also important to build a space that is inviting and encourages very active participation from all attendees. Just think about it – the bigger the room, the more likely people are to have reduced focus, be procrastinating or simply switched off.

All-hands room technology

You need a lot more than just a big space. It’s important to consider supporting AV equipment, depending on your company size. You should incorporate larger form projection spaces, conferencing functionalities and microphones for teams/individuals that are working remote or out of office.

Of course, technology should always be up to par with your team’s requirements but in the all-hands room, this is especially important. Microphones, and potentially a raised presentation space, will make it easier for presenters to get their point across.

Just make sure your tech solutions are not too complex, or you will end up wasting time trying to set it up or work it out. Go for something simple, yet stable.

Is an all-hands room for you?

Airtame’s all-hands room is by no means perfect for several reasons. It doesn’t have seating for all employees and the acoustics and sound gear aren’t the best, to be frank. But we have plans to set up a bigger and better all-hands room once we move into our new HQ in mid-2019.

As a company that considers itself to run a collaborative, open culture and workspace, we can’t live without an all-hands room. Everyone is encouraged to voice their opinions on how the new all-hands room should look like and what it should include – to make sure that it is, indeed, a room that works for everybody.

Likewise, you should ask your wider team how they imagine improving a communal space that’s used for cross-communication.

The core principles are pretty much transferable to any company of any size. What makes them distinctive is the requirements, skills and wants of your team. Without their counsel, this will end up being an uninspired and uninspiring place to listen and communicate.

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1) You’re awaiting an urgent call from a client, and your colleagues are loudly discussing today’s lunch nearby.

2) An upcoming deadline is nagging you while your co-workers are coming at you from all fronts with other requests.

3) You need to prepare a verbal presentation and want to go over how it sounds – aloud. Where do you see yourself performing such tasks?

Office pods. That’s your answer. 

The essentials:

• They allow for sharp focus in otherwise noisy surroundings
• They are affordable for most companies
• They help remove distractions
• They provide solace in a hectic open office environment

If you haven’t heard of office pods yet, it’s time you familiarized yourself with the term; they are all the rage. Here’s our take on what office pods are, who they’re for and how to set them up.

Don’t forget to check out our rundown of the much-hyped and misunderstood “huddle room“

What is an office pod?

Pods are almost entirely self-contained spaces that give the solitary worker a private area to concentrate, away from the office’s distractions and noises. Essentially, they’re a “room within a room” – many of them can even be moved around.

A lot of the time, they look like advanced phone booths with all four walls (often glass), a ceiling, seating for a single person and the necessary gear to get work done. They provide a quiet, private area for all kinds of workers, no matter the department. It sounds like a simple setup, but we’ll get back to what’s in them a little later.

An ever-growing number of companies are literally tearing down walls in favor of open office plans, as well as sharing their workspaces with other companies.

While the open office plan breeds socialization and collaboration, it’s not the best environment for introverts, noise-sensitive people, those who spend a lot of their work hours on the phone, or those who are looking for a secluded, private area to focus.

Where do you go to get “in the zone”? The solution to that could very well be the budget-friendly pods. And why is that? Well, a sound-resistant, distraction-free area is a bonus in all open floor plans where secluded areas are few and far between. A pod can be used as space for:

• Making private calls
• Solo productivity
• Virtual meetings
• Study areas
• Quiet time

The key elements of office pods

There are several types of ‘pods’ or ‘privacy pods’, and some of them are just rearranged furniture. To us, the office pod is a little bit more advanced. If you’re still trying to picture a phone booth on wheels, you’ve pretty much got the idea. This is how we classify them:

Space-efficient

Here’s the deal with office pods; they’re not only smaller than any type of room you’re likely to find in any office besides a bathroom stall, but they’re also easy to move too (Inc describes the miniature work zones here).

Even if you change your office plan or need the office pods to help out in a different area of your organization, it’s not like you have to build them from scratch somewhere else. Many pods can be moved around as you wish, giving you much more flexibility than regular rooms.

Quiet

Fully sealed, sound-proof, distraction-free. Sounds like the perfect place for you to focus. Noise is inevitable in any place of work. Your office pod is your chance to take a breather and work without distractions.

Easy

Instead of having to build an extra room for the people who want a little extra concentration, you get an office pod. It’s streamlined, aesthetically pleasing, and easy to install and move around.

Affordable

A standard phone booth-sized pod will cost anything from $4,500-8,000 depending on location, materials and gadgetry (the beautiful one below – which is nearing the top end of the price bracket – is from the design-conscious Finnish company Framery).  Pods with room enough for more people are of course more expensive too. Getting a customized pod is cheaper than constructing a new conference room, and doing so is prohibitive. Pods have the advantage of being mobile whereas rooms and walls usually stay where they are.

Versatile

Office pods shouldn’t just be for clacking away on your keyboard. Put in a screen, and you’ve got video conferencing in a private area plus idea visualization for the team member in the pod.

Pods are versatile in regards to the kind of work you can do in them, but definitely also the way of working itself. The best office pods allow both seated and standing work, making them a great ergonomic choice.

Glass

Office pods are often enclosed with translucent glass. Why? Just because the worker in the pod is shielded from the surrounding chaos doesn’t mean you should exclude them entirely. A glass panel will help open up the layout and make the pod feel like less of an intrusive force.

The “open” setup makes it less claustrophobic and allows for the individual to look out on the rest of the team, and for the team to quickly identify where a colleague is and/or when the pod is pre-occupied.

How to set up successful office pods

Office pods are for solo productivity and concentrated work. They should be used by many types of employees, so, much like with huddle rooms, keep the decorative efforts to a minimum and let the pod’s purpose shine instead.

Office pods can come in many sizes, some only fit to hold one standing worker, while others fit two people. We think you’ll get the most out of a medium-sized pod for just one worker to sit or stand while the focus on their tasks.

Find a pod that’s outfitted with a desk, chair, and at least one glass door. Get an office pod with wheels. Your workspace is sure to change over time, and you don’t want to discard the pod just because you moved around the rest. Think of the pod as part of the furniture, use it as a divider or even a decorative element (seriously, some of them look very elegant).

Office pods should be easy to occupy, but seeing as they’ll be popular among all types of workers, there should be an option to book them on a company’s shared calendar instead of on a first come, first served basis. Make sure there’s a display outside the pod so that people can see when/if the pod is booked next.

Office pod technology

Motion-activated ventilation system and a skylight sound impressive, but it’s okay if you go for a less fancy option. Just make sure there are numerous electrical outlets, natural lighting and an ergonomic setup for laptops. Additional displays to connect to probably won’t be necessary either.

The great news is that office pods come fully equipped when you buy them from the manufacturer (Samsung, Lyft and Meetup use Zenbooth, an eco-friendly and readymade solution), so all you have to worry about is assembling it in a jiffy and then reaping the benefits.

Are office pods for you?

Do you have a problem with people occupying the conference rooms just to take a phone call? No private areas to go? Working in an open office plan? Then office pods could be for you.

If you already have areas focused on privacy, then maybe you don’t need the pods in your office.

While the open office plan is great for transparency and inclusive, it’s also a more distracted way of working because every conversation and decision is public.

It comes down to productivity versus socializing, and in our opinion, you need both things to lead a successful business. Your work area should be flexible enough to accommodate both things as well as the different types of employees you’re likely to encounter; both introverts and extroverts.

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Then there’s the kind of ad-hoc meetings where you don’t feel the need to book ahead people or meeting room, for a quick brainstorm or a small team status update on the fly, where do such impromptu sessions take place?

Introducing the huddle room. It might just be the thing for you.

Huddle rooms are:

• Essential for open and collaborative workspaces
• Easy to build
• Not for everyone (team of developers? Perhaps not for you)

There’s persistent talk around the huddle room, or huddle space, and seeing as they’re so flexible and cater to many different situations, they’re difficult to pin down. This is our take on what huddle rooms are, and how to make the most out of them.

What is a huddle room?

Before we go to the world of meetings, let’s quickly look at the world of football (American, not the European). In football, players assemble for a quick session called a “huddle”. When they “huddle up”, it means they’re either strategizing, motivating or celebrating after a win.

These quick on-field meetings are an essential part of the game, and the same goes for office environments where people need to meet for a brief chat.

A huddle room is a smaller, more informal meeting space that provides a comfortable, secluded area for teams to meet, brainstorm or catch up easily. It’s for workgroups and colleagues who don’t necessarily need to book a room but still want to recap face-to-face.

Just like in football, these sort of office huddle-ups occur often, yet not many office spaces have the appropriate settings to accommodate them. In an open office space, most people will refrain from meeting at each other’s desk because it’s a distraction to the rest of the team and not private at all.

In fact, face-to-face time decreases by around 70 percent in open floor plans, a recent Harvard study suggests. That doesn’t mean it’s not a necessity anymore, and that’s where huddle rooms can prove their worth. That face-to-face time you were missing? Perfect for the huddle room.

Besides some much-needed face-to-face time, huddle rooms can be used for:

• Quick brainstorm sessions
• Daily team stand-ups
• Design reviews
• Alignment meetings
• Informal 1:1
• Project team meetings

The key elements of huddle rooms

There’s no fixed version of the huddle room, its design or outfit, but there are some key elements that define them.

Small

They can typically accommodate no more than five people, allowing for much more intimacy. Because they’re so small, they can make use of otherwise forgotten spaces, which makes them highly cost-effective.

User-friendly

A huddle room is supposed to be a space for on-the-fly interactions and quick meet-ups rather than time-consuming setups. Your huddle rooms should have equipment that is easy to use for anyone at any time, and with instructions that are plainly visible.

Informal

Distractions and noise are pretty common in most offices, but especially the ones with an open floor plan. A quiet, private space for smaller groups to meet puts an end to that problem. Sounds great? Sounds like a huddle room!

Flexible

No matter the objective, Huddle rooms should be outfitted to support any sort of on the fly team objective. That means huddle rooms can be equipped with a range of easy-to-use equipment and technology for presenting, sharing and remote video conferencing.

Ready to go

Huddle rooms are not designed for long meetings that occupy the space for the entirety of the day. And where other, full-scale conference spaces may be booked for longer, drawn-out endeavors, huddle rooms should remain ‘unbookable’.

We suggest introducing a time limit instead, e.g. an hour per room – or perhaps even less. Every time the clock reaches a full hour, say, other workers will know that the huddle room is available.

How to set up successful huddle rooms

Huddle rooms should be used for on-the-fly collaboration, ideation and less objective-driven sessions. To facilitate that, we recommend introducing relatively neutral surroundings. Keep it simple. This means less distracting surroundings with signage, furnishing and other accessories that won’t cause too much of a fuss.

We think a huddle room should be able to accommodate no more than five people in total, and four is even better. Just don’t think of huddle rooms as scaled-down conference rooms, you’ll risk losing the intimacy and spontaneousness that huddle rooms invite. Plus, consider the sound level, and respect your fellow staff members that might be within earshot.

To set a basic standard, outfit the huddle room with a small table. You need a place for your notebooks and laptops, in any case, right? Then a few chairs for as many people as you intend to use the space. Your employees might prefer standing but they should all have the possibility of sitting down for longer meetings. Want even more flexibility? Choose the kind of chairs that have wheels.

A whiteboard or flipchart can help you visualize your amazing ideas. Just don’t go overboard with the outfit of the room. It needs to be simple enough that the next person in line won’t waste any time setting it up after you.

Huddle room technology

Huddle rooms typically cost less to equip than full-scale meeting rooms, and that’s why you’ll need budget-friendly tech options that match the laidback, casual collaboration.

Airtame 2 a cost-effective collaboration tool that makes the most out of screens, whether you’re using them for presenting or they’re on standby. It’s an easy, cable-free solution that takes away the hassle of presenting and thereby adds a better flow in productivity.

It’s a BYOD (bring your own device) solution, which means that no matter what device or operating system you or your guests prefer, Airtame 2 has got your back. The cloud-based platform allows for easy management and maintenance of devices, so you don’t have to walk from huddle room to huddle room to perform updates.

You’ll also need a smaller projector or TV screen broadcast presentations. Mount the big screen to save some space, and give the huddle room a marginally more ‘closed-off’ quality.

Whether you need video conferencing tools is up to your organization and the kind of tasks you’re most likely to perform in your huddle rooms. If it’s mostly internal project collaboration, then you probably won’t need AV equipment.

Are huddle rooms for you?

Huddle rooms are in it to win it. These collaboration-fostering meeting spaces could result in increased productivity and less wasted space in your office, but they certainly aren’t for everyone.

In an already hectic and open work environment, you run the risk of removing the only pockets of solace and quiet you might have. And you’ll still have your conference rooms. Huddle rooms aren’t here to replace them, as it doesn’t make sense to outfit them the same way.

Huddle rooms are for all those in-between meetings you need where a conference room is too big and better for larger presentations. Huddle rooms are particularly great for big, open and under-populated environments as well as heavily compartmentalized office spaces.

In all likelihood, managers and employees that take the initiative to utilize the huddle space are likely to also be quick and adept adopters of new technology. They need it to work right now, in the simplest and smartest way possible to get the most out of everyone’s time.

Huddle rooms come in all forms, and many shapes and sizes, but bottom line is that they’re great for teamwork. If you run a floor of developers, perhaps huddle rooms would be redundant. If you have a bunch of designers, marketers and informal visits from externals, huddle rooms could be a great remedy to the typically stifling and stiff meeting room.

Want to kit out your huddle room with Airtame? Watch this short video to discover how Airtame works:

Ready to start building a huddle room, and want to kit it out with Airtame? Book a call with our customer success team

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