Posted On 08 Jan 2022
Online meetings are now commonplace but collaborating effectively in the online environment can be challenging. How can you optimize virtual meetings?
We’ve compiled six golden rules to help you do just that.
Get Your Tech Ready: Don’t make people wait while you get your tech set up. Be prepared and check that everything is running smoothly in advance. Things can still go wrong, so ensure that tech support is available. Video conference suppliers will typically provide support to those trying to connect to their platform.
Formulate an Agenda: Create an agenda that everyone can access before the meeting so attendees can come to the meeting prepared.
Include time for questions and comments as well as reflection and decision-making.
Select the Right Platform: Choose a platform that satisfies your requirements. If your meeting caters to larger participant numbers while sharing high-grade images will demand a platform that can facilitate this. Reflect on the objectives of your meeting; what functionalities will add the most value?
Keep Videos On: Virtual meetings have numerous advantages, such as their ability to save us time, money, and logistical headaches. However, they make reading non-verbal cues more challenging.
To mitigate this, ask that all meeting attendees keep their videos on. This will help the team bond and will nurture better communication.
Establish Meeting Etiquette: Good etiquette, such as turn-taking, is vital for effective collaboration. This is especially the case in online settings where it is more difficult to respond to social cues.
Create a few etiquette rules, e.g., using the ‘raise hand’ tool to comment and taking the meeting in a distraction-free environment, and share these before the meeting and when it begins.
Recognize Everyone: Whether this is introducing people or simply asking attendees to set their screen name to their preferred name and job title, everyone at the meeting should be acknowledged.
Group environments can be intimidating. An icebreaker and ensuring people know each other’s names will encourage communication.
As a chairperson, regularly seek questions about the points you’ve made.
