Learn From the Movies and Unplug Your Meetings
- Brainz Magazine
- Jun 11
- 5 min read
Constantine Kourakis is the driving force behind professional transformation. He is interested in the themes of leadership, process innovation, open communication, knowledge culture and continuous professional development (CPD).
Whether you’re an experienced team leader or you just got promoted to the position and you are about to lead hundreds of meetings, this is for you. Do you feel that the get-togethers with your team have become a mundane to-do task in your already busy agenda? Do you sense that your direct reports are getting little out of those company-mandated meetings or fear that you are missing what is really going on in their heads? Have you run out of ideas for your next huddle and looking for icebreakers to fill the time?
Then, it’s high time you learnt about the Dogme method and why unplugging your meetings is now more relevant than ever.
What is dogme?
Dogme, or Dogme 95 to be precise, refers to the film movement initiated by directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg. It was a manifesto which essentially dictated that any film produced under Dogme 95 should focus on pure, organic filmmaking, shot on natural locations, without any external props, sets or special sound or light effects. Its ultimate purpose was to liberate films of tiresome, unnatural and soulless conventions that took away a film’s originality and impact.
Dogme applications
Outside the film industry, the Dogme method has been adopted in education. It’s also known as “Teaching Unplugged”. Teachers, particularly English language (EFL/ESL) teachers, praise this novel approach for its meaningfulness, tangible results and the participant focus it offers.
But how can Dogme be used in the fast-paced corporate world?
Unplug your meetings
For once, forget your agenda. Ditch the laptop, too. Next time you meet up with your team, listen to what the team brings to the table.
Start with a simple “How are things” question. Follow up. Respond with curiosity, understanding. Engage another participant. Ask a related question. You do not need any pre-meeting notes; your most valuable input is hidden there in front of you. Build on what your people say by asking “Is everyone feeling the same, is anyone else facing the same issue?” or “Has anyone got a suggestion?”. Tap into the paraverbal cues, a gesture or a facial expression you notice. Use a board to capture the key points and the collective train of thought —yes, Dogme meetings are more efficient in person and when cameras are on.
Strange as it may seem, the manager is not leading the meeting. The team leader’s role here is to merely become a facilitator: to encourage the participants to open up, listen to their input, connect the points brought forward according to relevance and significance and ultimately facilitate a mutually beneficial outcome (e.g. a solution to a problem, a suggestion to work better, an idea for the next corporate event, a related company update which was planned to be announced by e-mail or at the next meeting).
You should not fear the lack of a predetermined agenda. Each point voiced, each participant’s contribution will prompt a response and lead to the next point. Eventually, you will allow for a relevant and constructive team dialogue to unfold.
The benefits of a dogme meeting
1. Boosts employee engagement
According to Gallup, engaging employees has become a priority to ensure increased well-being, higher productivity and better retention. Dogme meetings are participant-centered and personalized. They provide the space for organic input that comes directly from the employees based on their current challenges, needs, critical situations, positive working conditions and success stories.
2. Enhances employee visibility and safety
When team leaders announce the pre-set agenda, their direct reports can feel stressed that they might be asked to provide feedback or an opinion. In other cases, some employees might simply feel uninterested before the actual meeting starts. Dogme allows participants to shape the discussion according to their job interests and share their feedback in a safe space. It makes them feel seen and understood. Psychological safety is gaining traction in the corporate world and is very well discussed in Dr. Sandra Wilson’s article.
3. Fosters spontaneous and transparent communication
This is a vital aspect of any professional interaction in the workplace. Purely conversation-driven and with no dependence on any agenda items, team participants appreciate the ad-hoc openness and, thus, decide to engage in the authentic discussion which brings attention to their real-life needs and challenges to be addressed or notified to the rest of the team.
4. Reinforces team bonding
Dogme meetings enable colleagues to react and respond to each other in a constructive way. Even if there are different views on the table, the team is encouraged to show rapport and embrace the collective brainstorming. Thus, Dogme meetings strengthen the collective dynamic, fostering a culture of belonging.
5. Improves managerial skills
As far as you, the manager, are concerned, the team will give you credits for adopting a novel approach which focuses on their needs and is detached from the run-of-the-mill tasks and duties. Dogme meetings strengthen individual trust and paint the picture of a natural leader for you, while enabling you to improve your communicative and leadership skills.
Any limitations?
As revolutionary an approach as it may be to team management and employee engagement, it might be challenging for the manager to lead the very first Dogme meeting; it will feel like navigating through unchartered waters. Similarly, the first Dogme meeting might feel awkward to the participants, prompting them to question the purpose or the nature of such a huddle. This is due to our year-long mechanistic familiarity with the ordinary corporate meeting format that makes Dogme sound like an alien concept.
Yet, what today’s corporate stakeholders need is an active shift in mindset. Unplugging your meetings can actually lead to profound short- and long-term team engagement benefits and strengthen employee performance and loyalty. The second Dogme meeting will definitely work better than the first one before it becomes an integral part of your management routine.
Keep in mind that
The Dogme method is not an exclusive, one-size-fits-all solution. There are always cases where meetings must be defined by an agenda.
Dogme remains a solid tool to empower your team and complement your management skills. It is a smart solution to be applied at regular intervals and highlights your people’s current needs and wants to perform better.
Be the change you want to see in your team
Get in touch to dive into Dogme together. I’ll guide you to apply this approach in your own targeted context and drive your team’s success.
Follow me on LinkedIn, and visit my LinkedIn for more info!
Read more from Constantine Kourakis
Constantine Kourakis, Business Transformation Trainer
A prime example of transformation, Constantine's career spans two global translation companies, one CRO, one NGO, three language schools and one healthtech scale-up —and all this, across four countries. He quit his role in Barcelona to go rogue, aspiring to get more field knowledge and job satisfaction despite the uncertainty of the freelancing space. An advocate of the power of saying “No”, he rejected the Academic Manager position he was offered in Brighton to focus on his real needs and wants. After moving to Amsterdam, he resumed corporate roles to grow, network and learn new skills. In a liberating move, he let go of his 9-5 routine to create ZeNous and provide language support, corporate training and performance improvement insights.
