--- title: "Tuesday Buzz: Making Meeting Spaces More Pleasant" id: "42154" type: "post" slug: "tuesday-buzz-making-meeting-spaces-more-pleasant" published_at: "2018-04-03T21:41:19+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T21:42:14+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/04/03/tuesday-buzz-making-meeting-spaces-more-pleasant/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/04/03/tuesday-buzz-making-meeting-spaces-more-pleasant.md" excerpt: "Spur creativity and innovation by making your meeting spaces more attractive. Also: Traits that make teams effective problem solvers." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "meeting spaces" - "Meetings" - "office design" - "teacher collaboration" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Tuesday Buzz: Making Meeting Spaces More Pleasant If you’re always having meetings in the same beige room, it’s time to shake it up. Freshening up an existing place or finding a new meeting spot space can help to generate new ideas and break your team out of creative rut. *Event Manager Blog* [shares a bunch of ways to make your meeting rooms more pleasing (opens in a new tab)](https://www.eventmanagerblog.com/aesthetically-pleasing-meeting-spaces) that are both functional and attractive. Try adding chalkboard walls to a common meeting space. “These are excellent for collaborative learning and brainstorming, require minimal tech and can be useful for bringing teams together,” says the post. When the weather is cold, bring the outside inside by creating an indoor garden for meetings. “Faux grass carpet combined with mixed seating and beanbags makes it easy for attendees to pull up a chair and have a chat or to host an informal break-out session at your event,” says the post. And don’t be afraid to try a rustic cabin setting. “This could be part of a retreat, or if your office has garden grounds,” the article suggests, further making the case for an executive cabin “complete with fireplace and beam ceilings.” ### Psychological Safety > Here’s what separates the best teams from the rest [https://t.co/b9vtrYgKqW (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/b9vtrYgKqW) > > — Harvard Business Review (@HarvardBiz) [April 3, 2018 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz/status/981162417412591616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **When it comes to internal meetings at your organization**, how safe from ridicule do your attendees feel? A new [article from Harvard Business Review (opens in a new tab)](https://hbr.org/2018/04/the-two-traits-of-the-best-problem-solving-teams) says that if people think they will be punished or embarrassed for making a mistakes, they’re less likely to speak up. “Without behaviors that create and maintain a level of psychological safety in a group, people do not fully contribute—and when they don’t, the power of cognitive diversity is left unrealized,” write Alison Reynolds and David Lewis. “Furthermore, anxiety rises and defensive behavior prevails.” The post goes on to provide ways leaders can generate a sense of safety in their organization. ### Other Links of Note **Looking for a fresh video idea?** A new company called Clipisode lets users easily create an online “talk show,” [reports TechCrunch (opens in a new tab)](https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/30/clipisode-launches-a-talk-show-in-a-box/) . **Nonprofit budgets are often tight.** Here’s how to make yours go further [from Nonprofit Hub (opens in a new tab)](http://nonprofithub.org/human-resources/making-your-money-go-further/) . **Google was able to increase employee productivity using one email.** *Inc.* reveals [how they did it (opens in a new tab)](https://www.inc.com/michael-schneider/google-increased-new-employee-productivity-by-25-percent-with-1-email-heres-what-you-need-to-know.html) . (monkeybusinessimages/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Raegan Johnson](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Tags: [#meeting spaces](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meeting-spaces/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) [#office design](https://associationsnow.com/tag/office-design/) [#teacher collaboration](https://associationsnow.com/tag/teacher-collaboration/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [TemplateMembers onlyHotel Contract TemplateJuly 20, 2018](https://associationsnow.com/2018/07/20/hotel-contract-template/) - [ArticleReport: Meeting Planners Looking for Flexible SpacesJuly 15, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/07/15/report-meeting-planners-looking-for-flexible-spaces/) - [PodcastAssociations Now Presents: Beyond the Contract: Building Stronger Destination PartnershipsSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/associations-now-presents-beyond-the-contract-building-stronger-destination-partnerships/) - [VideoAshley Cobb Shares Her Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 12, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/12/ashley-cobb-shares-her-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2018%2F04%2F03%2Ftuesday-buzz-making-meeting-spaces-more-pleasant%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !