Welcome

When you’re driving change with a team, you’ll be holding at least a few meetings.

To keep people coming to your meetings, be sure to greet them as they arrive.

Arrive 10 minutes earlier than you usually would.  Get all your things together for the meeting.  Then, as people arrive, say something to them, anything.

For more formal meetings I like to shake hands and introduce myself to each new person.  For more informal meetings I usually make eye contact, say hello and thank them each for coming.

After every meeting I always thank them all again for coming and remind them when the next meeting is scheduled.

You’ll want each person to feel welcome and want to come back, especially if they are volunteers that can at any moment stop spending their time on your project.

Remember: Welcome!

It really is that easy.

Test: Try welcoming people at your next meeting.  Count how many people attended.  At the next meeting after, welcome everyone again and count how many people returned.  Keep that up for a few meetings and I bet you get a better turnout.  Feel free to try it and see if you can prove me wrong.