As communicators, we know town halls can drift into death-by-PowerPoint territory. Slides blur together. Updates pile up. And employees leave wondering why they were even there.
Sure, they showed up, but did you capture their attention? Help them make sense of what they heard? Inspire them to care or act on what they learned?
Or did it feel like the last meeting on repeat?
Probably the latter.
And yet, town halls still hold a vital role. They’re one of the few shared moments that bring people together across roles, levels and locations. When done well, they reinforce purpose, build trust and spark momentum.
So, is it worth taking a different approach, especially with competing priorities and limited resources? Absolutely. There’s real value in zeroing in on what you want to accomplish and deciding what belongs—and what doesn’t.
Building in feedback loops and giving employees an active role to play is how a routine meeting becomes a catalyst for shifting sentiment, building pride and guiding action.
And it doesn’t have to be a massive overhaul. Even small shifts can make a difference: ending with a clear takeaway, making space for dialogue and inviting new voices.
If we want employees to stop tuning out, we have to stop treating them like a passive, captive audience. We need to help them “own” the meeting—just like we want them to own outcomes. Because when it’s done right, a town hall isn’t just another meeting. It’s a moment to remind people why they care and how they can contribute.
Here are some practical tips to make your next town hall more meaningful, memorable and actionable.
1. Start with purpose: Don’t just fill time—focus it
Too often, agendas are shaped around what people want to say—not what employees need to hear or what you hope to achieve through the meeting.
Clarify what you want to accomplish. Define the goals, then shape the format, speakers and flow around them. If you have only 30 minutes, what’s essential? If you have 60, how do you use that time without overwhelming employees with information?
If you do have the opportunity for a larger overhaul, even better. That’s your chance to ask:
- What would make this feel less like an obligatory meeting and more like an experience that unites people and inspires action?
- Are we surfacing the right priorities?
- Who else should help tell the story to add authenticity?
- How can we make the town hall more relevant and engaging?
Be intentional about the changes you make by tying them back to the purpose of the meeting. Whether it’s one change or many, make them count.
2. Rethink the agenda: Create space for focus and flow
You don’t need to scrap the agenda, but you may want to reshape it.
- Cut the clutter. Not every slide needs airtime. Use the meeting for what matters most and find other channels to share supporting content.
- Break the pattern. Rotate speakers. Add a story, image or video. Create moments of surprise or inspiration.
- Lead with top priorities. People are most engaged in the first few minutes—don’t waste that window.
- Make room to pause and participate. Shift the energy by setting aside space for reactions or reflection, like a quick poll, a chat prompt or just space to think.
When times are tough—cost pressures, change or uncertainty—lead with clarity, not spin. People don’t expect leaders to have all the answers, but they do want transparency. Start with what’s real, then build toward what’s possible and make clear what they can do to help.
3. Invite interaction: Spark energy, build connection and foster shared ownership
You don’t need a big budget to create engagement, but you do need to make room for participation. When employees have a chance to ask, react or contribute, the meeting becomes more personal and more engaging.
Try these simple techniques:
- Collect questions in advance and answer a few live
- Use a quick poll or response to a prompt
- Ask for a show of hands or chat response
- Host breakout discussions with leaders
When leaders participate in those moments, it has an impact. It builds trust and signals approachability. It shows employees that leaders aren’t just talking—they’re listening.
4. Make it work for everyone: Inclusive, flexible and accessible by design
Your town hall should meet people where they are. If the experience works only for those in the room or online at a specific time, it isn’t working for everyone.
Design with flexibility and inclusion in mind:
- Offer asynchronous options, such as submitting questions in advance or revisiting content in huddles
- Share a recording with highlights, captions and mobile-friendly access
- Provide closed captioning and translations for multilingual teams
- Use high-contrast visuals and clear fonts for accessibility
- Vary meeting times, offer multiple sessions or introduce other opportunities to interact with leaders
- Acknowledge those who can’t attend live and invite them in afterward
You don’t need to solve everything at once. But every step toward broader access is a step toward deeper connection.
5. Extend the experience: Before and after the event make a big difference
Want to make the most of your town halls? Start the conversation before the meeting and keep it going after the meeting ends.
Before the meeting:
- Share a short agenda or preview
- Ask for questions in advance
- Provide compelling reasons to attend or teasers to make them want to learn more
After the meeting:
- Send a short recap with key takeaways
- Share a recording with highlights
- Give managers a summary to cascade or discuss
Extend the expiration date of your town hall by treating it as the starting point for conversations and actions that follow.
6. Stop counting heads. Start tracking connection, trust and momentum.
Attendance is easy to count, but don’t let your measurement stop there. Look at how people engage:
- Are they asking thoughtful questions or just clarifying the basics?
- Are they naming real issues? Showing curiosity?
- Are more people asking questions or participating in other ways?
And ask for feedback:
- Was it a good use of their time?
- What worked and what didn’t?
- Did it build confidence in the direction of the company?
- Did it strike the right tone?
- Did they trust what leaders said?
- Do they believe leaders will act on what they learned?
That’s the real test: Do employees feel like their voice matters and their input shapes what comes next?
When the answer is yes, the town hall becomes more than a meeting. It becomes a tool for building clarity, trust and momentum over time.
