Online/virtual meetings are pretty much the de facto way the world connects in the pandemic era. Meeting requests abound, be it for work or to catch up with your social circle or writing group. But there is also the dreaded "Zoom fatigue" that can set in.
For most meeting participants, online meetings should leave them feeling like they have achieved something meaningful. When unplanned and set up in haste, virtual meetings and collaborations can seem like a waste of precious time. In this scenario, how can you maximize the value of each online meeting and increase its effectiveness? How can you be outcome-driven in online meetings? Here are some sure-fire ways to do it.
Improve Your Online Meeting
In the last 18 months, the world had to quickly up-skill itself as the dreaded virus sent the world into lock-downs and restricted movement. We had to learn to figure out new ways to assemble as teams and conduct businesses even if travel and commuting have come to a standstill.
Thankfully, technology, as always, was ahead of its time. We learned to communicate in groups and teams online. While a tricky transition for some, virtual meetings have now become the status quo.
It has become easier to set up these sessions on virtual meeting platforms like Zoom, Cisco WebEx, Zoho Meeting, Google Hangouts, etc.
Virtual meeting platforms, to facilitate this heightened demand for business conferencing, had to scale up their solutions. The demands of the new, predominantly virtual workforce were different. But how can you, either as host or guest, derive maximum use out of your online meeting? Here are five easy ways you can do this.
It's virtual but still human.
Remember, you are talking to real people on the other end of the line. Despite the fact that you are talking through a screen, keeping this in mind is critical to any online meeting. As a result, keeping meetings as human as possible is critical. This is identical to a face-to-face meeting.
Because there is now an additional barrier, the desire to keep it human is much more pressing. Be mindful of the fact that the same courtesies apply as in the boardroom set-up. Send a meeting request ahead of time. Respect their time. Begin and end as you would in a boardroom.
Always make sure to use the webcam and not an avatar, as hearing an avatar speak is just not the same as actually seeing the person who is interacting with you. Little details such as this make a world of difference.
It might be a virtual session, but the agenda should still be clear. Be mindful of the fact that there might be interruptions on the other end not in their control, as more and more people work from home offices.
Remember the BBC dad and the oh-so-human, unpredictable guest appearance in his virtual meeting? Allow for surprises or unexpected situations while maintaining professional integrity.
Know your audience
As much as the new world necessitates regular interaction, remember some people might not be up to it all the time. Team dynamics come into play even in a virtual or remote scenario.
In the case of a smaller group of people or a team call, it is just the platform that has changed, so it won't be a big stretch.
But in the case of a webinar where you are presenting to hundreds or thousands, it would be prudent to have a clear agenda with clear timelines.
If you have a Q&A section, keep it to the last ten minutes or so of the session. Knowing the audience beforehand will help in structuring your meeting in a way that is meaningful to both you and the audience.
Most important keyword? Prep.
People will likely be ill-prepared for meetings, as always. Statistics show that remote working has made people put in longer hours, as opposed to giving them more time for personal lives, resulting in increased productivity. In this scenario, the best way to optimally use everyone's time and mind space is good preparation.
A simple fix to avoid potential confusion? Have your meeting objectives clear from the outset, both to you and to meeting participants. Do all due diligence before the meeting, including testing the connection, audio, microphone, webcam, captions if enabled before the event starts. Basic housekeeping will ensure active participation from the start of the event.
A clear agenda of the event will go a long way in establishing a culture and discipline that is easy to follow. That way, following up will become easier for everyone. And action items will get checked off the list more quickly.
Establish a culture towards productivity
Most of the groundwork in meeting etiquette in the new world has been laid down by now. Virtual platforms geared up to address these issues in the early months of the pandemic. By now, virtual meeting norms are more or less established. You will likely have an ethos that is distinct to your organization.
Whatever the culture, it should be geared towards productivity and optimum usage of time. The bottom line should be transparent to everyone.
Consider nominating a meeting manager, who can be the point person for coordinating and recording the event. They can ensure all participants have joined, take minutes of the meeting, and/or assist with other logistics. If captions have been turned on, taking notes will be easier.
A clear expectation of outcomes from all participants will ensure timeliness and efficiency. If there isn't enough participation, the meeting will end up being a waste of time for everyone.
Virtual meetings will also benefit greatly from a skillful mediator who can bring the discussion back to the meeting agenda if someone strays from topic or goes off tangent. Be practical: is this meeting geared towards productivity, or is it an exercise in vanity? Answering this question first and foremost is perhaps the most important consideration.
Make it count for all.
In virtual meetings, you will likely have experienced gaps in participation for reasons beyond anyone's control. How can you make your virtual meeting accessible and inclusive for all?
For example, in cases where teammates might be facing internet outages, you can consider introducing an offline component. If they are unable to participate owing to bandwidth issues or conflicting schedules, you can request their input via a form or phone call. Setting those ground rules well in advance will help address these gaps.
Another scenario is ensuring your meeting is inclusive and accessible for all. Enabling captions, for example, is another way to reach global audiences via translatable captions. These also come in handy for the hard of hearing who can take part via live captions or post-meeting downloadable transcripts. Find ways to get everyone to participate.
In conclusion
Virtual meetings should no longer be a daunting prospect. With the above points in mind, every online meeting, virtual event, and webinar can be made more effective and efficient.
Setting down clear goals of what you hope to achieve with every meeting is half the battle won during these times.
