Kristin Silver

practice administrator,

Meyer Pediatrics

Typically, we meet monthly and the office buys lunch. One hundred percent contribution is required from everyone—even if it’s just something like [a pro-posal to] wear jeans on Friday—it’s all important. We make sure every meeting begins in a safe place and on a positive note.

All sorts of chaos can ensue in an office. Employees do not want to go to one another about their problems, so I always keep track of issues they bring to me. Sometimes we spend more time with one another than we do our own family and, just like a child, management by abandonment does not work.

Richard Hajjar

financial center manager,

Liberty Savings Bank

I think of meetings as developmental coaching sessions, and I place the emphasis on participation. We have daily “huddles” and planned weekly meetings. Mornings avoid distraction and bring us into focus. Today, we discussed creative relationship building. Everyone’s experience and individuality are valuable to me, and I want the people I work with to feel empowered to think outside the box. The acronym T.E.A.M. may be cliché, but it’s true: Together Everyone Achieves More.

Bob Bartz

president,

Manatee Chamber of Commerce

We have two separate offices in Lakewood Ranch and downtown Bradenton, and that can be a challenge. We’ve solved that by having monthly video conferences, using a big video screen, 13-by-11 feet. We begin with good news—both personal and business. Each month a different staff member volunteers to run the meeting. Then, we go over programs we’re working on, problem solving, and new time-saving tips or techniques. Also, we share feedback with one another about events or trade shows we’ve done. When we have time, we like to add an element of fun—work made fun gets done.

John Horne

owner,

Anna Maria Oyster Bar

Our managers meet Tuesday mornings, 7:30 a.m., and we rotate around our three locations. Every meeting, we open up the kitchen and the bar and try new menu items. With an open bar comes a lot of honesty—we call it “truth serum.” Anybody can say anything; no feelings get hurt. We are always looking for new ideas, and the best ones come from managers and the staff

Need a new place to meet?

To find the top venues for meeting in our region, go to Biz941.com and click on “Meeting Space Guide.”