While virtual workplace conversations were not unheard of several years ago, the frequency of such meetings has seriously increased since that time. Whether you’ve found recent virtual meetings at your job to be chaotic or you haven’t hosted one before, consider some tips for effective planning.
Choose the Right Platform
Before the meeting invitations are even sent out, you have to select a platform that has the right tools for your business and agenda. For example, you might want employees to divide into small groups during the meeting to discuss a new proposal, or you may need to share your screen to show slides during the lecture.
Be Reasonable in Scheduling
The increase in remote work has led some managers to think that employees can be available at any time and on any day to tackle tasks. Schedule meetings at reasonable times just as you would if the discussions were taking place in person. Holding a meeting an hour before the workweek ends on a Friday is likely to result in sluggish, unenthusiastic conversations, regardless of where employees are working.
Use the Mute Button
During in-person meetings, attendees can often use verbal cues to signal a need to quiet down. Also, the central position of the meeting host in a physical space can help with maintaining order. In a virtual meeting, employees might be talking over one another, or the background sounds of a colleague’s home could interrupt a presentation. Don’t be afraid to click on the mute button. In fact, before the lecture components of a meeting, you might decide to simply mute all of the participants other than the employee who will be speaking.
Vary Activities
During lengthy meetings, in particular, aim to vary activities to keep employees focused and engaged. For example, you might present a lecture about new strategies to use to handle challenging situations in the workplace. Then, you can break employees up into groups to apply the strategies to scenarios. After this activity, you could bring all of the team members back together to share what they came up with.
For some, virtual meetings are delightful. For others, virtual meetings are challenging to host and to navigate. Find a way to bring more of the positives into your company’s virtual meetings.
