Top Tips for Virtual Meetings
Listed below are thirteen top tips for
holding virtual meetings. Most relate to teleconferencing but
can also be useful pointers for all types of virtual meetings.
Beware that if you don't have effective face to face meetings then
teleconferencing will make things worse.
Prepare as you would for a normal
meeting with a well organised agenda which is as brief and
targeted as possible. Participants are more likely to stay focused
if they know what to expect.
As in a normal meeting make sure you
wait your turn and treat everyone respectfully with patience and
tact. Try and let everyone talk without interruption.
Test the technology before the meeting
starts. You don't want to find you need to download
software five minutes before the meeting starts. Above
all make sure the meeting facilitator knows how to use it.
Send out all meeting material well in
advance so that participants are familiar with the
content and you don't waste time explaining basic details.
Try to have as few people as possible
in the same room to cut down on distracting noise. Keep
teleconferencing meetings and on-site meetings separate if at all
possible.
Try not to use your mobile for a
teleconferencing call but if you have to make sure it's fully
charged and that you have a good signal and limited background
noise.
Get each participant to introduce
themselves by name so that everyone will have a chance to get to
know each other's voices. Ask each participant to identify
themself before speaking.
Try to pause frequently. Participants
need time to think about what's being said and to add their own
comments. As participants can't see each other, a pause
allows them to step in without feeling that they're
interrupting.
Keep your mind on the call -
don't multitask by also answering e-mails, playing solitaire
or working on a spreadsheet.
Don't wait for latecomers
and then start the meeting late. If participants already
feel the call is taking up valuable time, a late start will
really annoy them.
Think about how to deal with
non-verbal communications and discuss this at the start of the
meeting. Even when you can see the participant, as in
video conferencing, you can't always see the finer points of
their body language.
It's very important to ask for
feedback on how the meeting is going as you can't see participants'
body language or facial expressions. It also keeps people
focussed if they know they will be asked for feedback.
Discuss the benefits of participants
putting the call on hold. Putting a call on hold
can mean everyone listening to your hold music however if
several people are in open plan offices the background noise can
make the meeting impossible.
