A successful online meeting involves more variables and considerations than an in-person meeting does. The organiser is responsible for organising speakers, an agenda, and the platform they will utilise in addition to evaluating and considering technological requirements.
Here are some suggestions for running a productive remote meeting, whether you’re the host or an attendee.
Online meeting advice: the host
Keep them organised.
Make sure the meeting’s agenda is written in advance with any necessary input from participants. Establishing a concise list of discussion topics and action items will help you stay on topic during remote meetings. Before and throughout the conversation, the agenda should be discussed. At the conclusion of each section, allow time for a Q&A or discussion.
Plan ice breakers.
If participants in a remote meeting are strangers to one another, ice breakers are meant to help them feel at ease. Introduce yourself and tell us something fascinating about yourself, everyone.
Appoint a lead or moderator.
A team member can be chosen to chair the meeting. They will be in charge of outlining the agenda, adhering to the timetable, and facilitating the conversation. They could share the schedule or discussion starters you came up with in our first point with other people.
Provide access links and invitations in advance.
Send your team calendar invites, and make access links on the conferencing platform of your choice. Make sure everyone has access to the platform before the call.
Assign roles.
Before a remote meeting, it is a good idea to assign tasks if there are numerous presenters and subjects. Who will record the notes? Who is in charge of conducting follow-up? The presenters are who? Make sure that these specifics are discussed beforehand to prevent any snags.
Check that your platform of choice works properly before the call.
Test the system with one or two persons before the call to make sure everything is in working order. This is especially crucial when there are numerous callers.
Have a time limit
Nobody’s availability after the scheduled time is guaranteed just because they are all at home. The same hard stop time should be observed for both in-person and remote sessions.
Invite the necessary people.
Do not invite all of your team members if they are not required to attend. People who don’t take part in a call may not be required in the future. You can succeed by making notes and modifying your plan as necessary.
After the meeting, share notes and to-dos.
To prevent wasting time during your remote meeting, it is crucial that you decide on the following actions and communicate the results to your team.
Organise a central database of knowledge.
Control vital information in a centralised database. This can be used to record meetings, projects, and business information.
The organiser indeed carries a huge load, but they are not the only ones. Attendees should also be well-prepared, present, and observe proper protocol when participating in an online meeting.
Online meeting advice: the participants
Online meetings are only as effective as their attendees. Here are some suggestions to help participants in remote meetings make the most of their time and contribute efficiently:
Don’t multitask.
Make sure you pay attention to the conversation completely. Just using ordinary civility is all that is required.
Re-mute your Microphone after talking.
The Background noise of your house should not be heard during the meeting unless it is while you are talking. The reason for this is that it can be distracting to others or the person speaking.
Turn your camera on.
Face-to-face communication is necessary for building rapport and creating effective teamwork. A key component in making this possible is the use of cameras. Remember to turn it on.
Make sure your equipment is up to the task.
Purchase a decent quality webcam and microphone if you want to project the greatest possible image of yourself. Microphones and webcams that come with laptops and computers aren’t of the highest calibre however, the webcam is usually better than the microphone. Webcams and microphones are available on Amazon in a variety of styles. Especially if you work from home, it will be a wise investment.
Prepare your workspace before the call.
You ought to be in a silent, noise-free setting so that you can concentrate on the chat.
Be comprehensive and descriptive.
Only talking and screen sharing are possible while using remote calls. By using excessive detail, you can ensure that everyone knows what you’re saying.
To illustrate your points, share your screen.
If further clarity is needed, you can screen share your desktop. You’ll save time and get a better understanding of the subject by doing this.