Since COVID, remote meetings have taken over in the Business industry. Remote meetings are excellent for anyone on the go, at a desk, or doesn't have the time to meet within the office.
A lot of people were worried when things started moving towards remote meetings, and remote work. Would the background noise be too much? Would the internet work? Would it be as effective and knowledgeable as meeting in person? Over the course of the last two years, remote meetings have taken over and become more pleasurable than in person.
Here are some ways to run an effective remote meeting and make the most out of the time you have together. As the organizer you can do the following:
Keep them structured. Create an agenda in advance of the meeting with input from attendees, if necessary. It can be easy for a remote meeting to slide off-topic, so having a clear set of conversation topics and action points will ensure waffle is kept to a minimum. Present the agenda before the session, and at the start of the call. Allocate timeframes for each section, and leave room for a Q&A or discussion at the end of the session.
Plan ice breakers for remote meetings. Ice breakers are a great way to get people comfortable with the remote meeting environment, especially if they don’t know each other. Do a round of introductions, and ask everyone to share something interesting about themselves
Appoint a lead or moderator. Choose someone on your team to steer the meeting. They will need to present the agenda, stick to the allocated time frame, and drive the discussion forward. Ensure you share the agenda or conversation topics you created in point 1.
Send invitations and access links in advance. If you’re planning a more formal online meeting, create access links using your chosen conference platform, and send calendar invitations to your team. Ensure that all attendees can access the platform before the call.
Assign roles. If your remote meeting involves multiple speakers and topics, it’s a good idea to assign jobs before the call starts. Who will be taking notes? Who is in charge of the follow-up? Who are the presenters? Hash these details out beforehand to ensure a smooth meeting.
Use a meeting management tool to track the outcomes. Use a meeting management tool to take notes and establish tasks, action points, and meeting outcomes.
Ensure your platform works properly before the call. Make sure you do a systems test before the call with one or two people to ensure that everything works well. This is especially important for calls with a larger number of attendees.
Stick to a time limit. Just because everyone is at home doesn’t mean they’re available to go beyond the allocated time. Treat remote meetings like in-person ones, and respect a hard stop time.
Invite the right people. Don’t invite everyone on your team if they don’t have to be there. Be particular about who you ask to attend a meeting. If someone isn’t participating during a call, it’s likely because they don’t need to be there in the future. Take notes and don’t be afraid to adjust your strategy based on performance.
Share notes and to-dos after the meeting. Ensure that your remote meeting isn’t a waste of time by clearly establishing the next steps and sharing outcomes with the team.
Keep a central knowledge database. Keep track of mission-critical information with a central database. Use this to keep track of ongoing meetings, projects, and earned company knowledge.
Here are some tips for having effective meetings as the attendee:
Don’t multitask. Even if you can! Make sure you give your undivided attention to the conversation. It’s common courtesy.
Mute when you’re not talking. Nobody wants to hear your cat meowing in the background. And if they do, the conversation will quickly turn to ‘what breed of cat have you got? She’s beautiful!’. Unmuted people are distracting and can derail a remote meeting.
Turn your camera on. A face-to-face conversation is critical in establishing rapport and good teamwork. Now you can no longer rely on in-person communication, having a camera on is critical.
Make sure you have the right gear. Invest in a quality webcam and microphone so that you’re putting your best foot forward. Webcams and microphones that are built into your laptop or PC aren’t the best quality. So, take a look at web-cams and microphones on Amazon. It’ll be money well spent - specifically if your role is remote.
Set up your workspace before the call. Make sure you’re in a quiet, distraction-free environment that allows you to concentrate on the call.
Speak clearly and slowly. Video conferencing has a tendency to drop out at times. Speaking clearly and deliberately helps everyone on the call hear and understand you better.
Be thorough and descriptive. Likewise, remote calls are limited to audio and screen sharing. Be overly descriptive of what you’re talking about to ensure everyone understands.
Share your screen to illustrate your points. If necessary, share your desktop (screen share) to explain your points. This saves time and generates a better understanding of your topic.
Complete your to-dos in a timely manner. This ensures that your overall productivity maintains intact, even if you are working remotely.
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