In this economy, many companies are cancelling meetings as they try to find ways to save money and appear more fiscally prudent to shareholders and employees. However, the downside is that employee morale is also low and not getting together at all can fuel negative speculation about the health of the organization.

     What is essential is communication. And getting people physically together is a great way to deliver the message and talk about unity. You can still have a fabulous meeting on a shoestring. And here are some tips on how to do it:

1. Stay local. There is no need to fly everyone to a different location. Other companies find reasons to have meetings in your city, and so can you.

2. Limit the length of the meeting to a day or two. You can get a lot done in one day. This will cut down on meeting expenses. In some cases, if you do not have employees coming from any distance, you can really save.

3. Consider meeting at your facility or at a community center. Local community centers often have AV included in their meeting rooms, and many are located right next to a great park. This allows people to get out, stretch and take good breaks from the meeting. Great for team building too!

3. Less can be more. You will need to have presenters work toward really polishing presentations so they have impact. So often, speakers just talk to a Power Point presentation. That is a total waste of time. Work with your presenters to insure that every minute spent in front of attendees is valuable. You don't need to spend on the bells and whistles of AV-- you need to spend time having the speakers be excellent all by themselves. Coaching is good. 

4. Remember to cheer and celebrate successes. It is not all doom and gloom. The very act of applauding each other is uplifting. 

A lot of companies are not having their annual picnic this summer due to budget cuts. But before you just do away with it, let's consider it's impact and importance:

1. It is an "employee appreciation day," and it makes people feel good about the company they work for.

2. It allows people to get to know each other better in a non-work setting.

3. Everyone gets outside for a "breath of fresh air." You are not together to discuss work for once.

4. Picnics are fun.

 

How you can still have your picnic, a great time, and spend little to no money...

1. Have potluck. Everyone knows times are tough, and sharing is all part of supporting each other through thick and thin.

2. Convene at a beach or park during the week. You can find better availability then. If your group is less than 30, you do not even need to reserve a picnic area in many cases. City parks are normally on a "first come" basis. With daylight savings, you could even consider early evening so spouses and children could also attend during the week.

3. Have simple activities-- set up a volleyball net, croquet, badminton. Ask people to bring Frisbees and sports equipment. Plan on activities that everyone can do. Your local library is a great source for books on group games that are easy to facilitate.

     The bottom line is-- don't cancel employee get-togethers. It is more important than ever to keep everyone's spirits up and foster a sense of togetherness. You don't need to spend a lot of money to do it.

     You can get a lot more for your money right now. Companies that provide picnic activities, catering, balloon artists, etc. --are all being very aggressive in negotiating for business. It never hurts to ask!