After the spread of the coronavirus, work from home is quite common around the whole. Many companies are still operating remotely because they have found that it is the best way to reduce expenses and hire the best talent around the world.
But the biggest problem faced in remote work is conducting virtual meetings and making them effective. One of the best ways to hold effective virtual meetings is by investing in Remote meetings software. Here, we will discuss various tips to make virtual meetings very effective:
Ensure Everyone Has Wi-Fi Connection
Ensure all participants are in a quiet and private location with a good Wi-Fi connection. If a meeting participant is “on the go” or otherwise in a location that makes it difficult to hear or be heard, ask him or her to call into the meeting rather than using video-conference capabilities.
Expect plenty of small hiccups as you get used to this virtual collaboration platform, so build them into your plans and maintain open communication with everyone on your team. You’ll soon find that working remotely can be just as effective as working side by side.
Communicate In English
It is a fact that English has become the global language of business communication. Companies with employees from all over the world, who come from varied backgrounds and have different ethnicities, will be dealing with them in English.
There is no point in having virtual team meetings without one common language. Insisting on using only English can help overcome the language barriers.
Send Outline In Advance
Without the benefit of body language, participants must have a clear understanding of what will be discussed and their role in the meeting. An outline or agenda should be sent to all participants before the meeting and should include:
- The objectives of the meeting.
- A general outline of discussion topics and any supporting documents.
- An indication of who will facilitate, participate and take notes.
- The timeframe for the meeting.
- Any ground rules for participation including how often and when participants can interrupt each other (if at all).
By using the meeting management software, you can easily automate various processes and make remote meetings quite successful.
Small Breakout Session
The key to a successful breakout session is quality, not quantity. Smaller groups (between two and five people) are best for brainstorming new ideas and solving problems. Larger groups can foster discussion, but their size makes it difficult to come up with fresh concepts or cultivate constructive debate.
When setting up a breakout session, be sure to explicitly state the purpose of the meeting. Vague requests will only confuse participants and make them less likely to contribute valuable ideas at the moment.
Give your team some time limits for each breakout session. A 15-minute break every hour or two can help keep everyone’s attention focused on your main meeting agenda. If you plan on giving employees creative tasks in these sessions, consider assigning individuals rather than teams so that they won’t feel overwhelmed by too many voices while trying to get ideas off the ground.
Use Right Software
Video calls are more engaging. Being able to see and hear someone is much more personal than a phone call. You’ll have a better connection with your colleagues and clients, which means you’ll get better work done together. Before taking the audio or video calls, make sure you have a good pair of Bluetooth headphones so that the other person can hear you easily.
Video calls are more secure. Using video conferencing software for business means that everything is encrypted so no one can hack into or steal your data or use it for their gain.
Video calls have better quality. You wouldn’t try to run a marathon without good running shoes! When you need to communicate effectively, high-quality audio and visual tools can make all the difference. That’s why video meetings are better than phone meetings: they allow everyone involved to put their best “foot forward” so they can work together productively, problem-solve creatively, and collaborate powerfully – even when they aren’t face-to-face in person!
Final Words
Virtual meetings are as effective as in-person meetings provided you follow the above-mentioned tips. Have a specific agenda for the meeting that is shared with all participants ahead of time. Virtual meetings are not about multi-tasking, so suggest that all attendees log out of their email and put away their cell phones.
There is nothing more distracting to the leader or other attendees than to see someone reading an email, responding to it, or texting during the meeting. The above-mentioned tips can make your virtual meetings very effective and successful.