Virtual meetings can be a big waste of time. However, they can be very effective and even more effective than traditional meetings if you learn to organize them. It can be a quick, easy and relatively inexpensive way to bring people together regardless of where they are.
One of the great advantages of virtual meetings lies in the fact that they can be easily recorded. Therefore, if someone could not attend the meeting, he can listen to it back later. The participants of virtual meetings can also respond only to specific topics and, therefore, do not have to waste time listening to unrelated issues. They can be easily divided into smaller groups to discuss specific topics. All of these benefits can, however, become real only if you manage to keep all the participants engaged. How can this be achieved?
Use video
Videoconferencing is more effective than teleconferencing. Video shows the non-verbal reactions of participants and their mood and also forces them to pay attention and ignore other unrelated activities. Everyone can afford a videoconferencing technology today.
Start by a five-minute conversation
Give all participants the opportunity to start the virtual meeting by a brief talk about what is happening in their personal and professional life. This will help you start the dialogue and listen to each other.
Assign specific roles
Give each participant a role - a record-keeper, a manager of questions and answers, etc. These roles can be rotated to be held by someone else at every meeting.
Disable muting
Muting destroys spontaneous discussion. Participants of virtual meetings should be allowed to turn the sound off on their side only if they are in a very noisy environment that might disturb others.
Punish multitasking
Clarify the rule that nobody can send e-mails or perform other unrelated activities during the meeting. And be consistent in punishment for violations of this rule. Try to engage creative punishments not to lose the good mood. They can include, for example, paying small sums of money to spend together later or taking care of your office coffee machine for one week.
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