How To Have A Successful Online Meeting
While online meetings were around well before 2020, they became a critical tool for remote work worldwide. Even as employees return to the office, many companies are offering the option for continued remote work. Since it looks like online meetings are here to stay, it's important to run them in the most effective way possible. Here are some tips on how to have a successful online meeting.
Prepare technology training in advance
Not everyone is familiar with video software and a good chunk of time is often wasted during meetings on "technical difficulties." If possible, plan for training ahead of time so that everyone is aware of the basic camera, audio, mic and chat functions.
Have an agenda
Just like you should fr an in-person meeting, prepare an agenda and distribute it ahead of time. Assign someone to take minutes and provide appropriate times for participants to speak.
Keep it short or split in two
Video meetings can be incredibly draining and harder to stay focused in, especially if the participants are already looking at a screen all day. Keep the meeting brief or split the session into two parts. Also, if the topic can be easily sent in an email, is a meeting worth it?
Cater to all learners
There are four times of learning styles: visual, auditory and kinesthetic. A good teacher will prepare lessons that cater to all three, and if you'd like to keep your participants engaged, you should too. Involve your audience by including written portions, videos, whiteboard activities, breakaway groups, etc. If you'd like to give your participants time away from the screen, incorporate tools such as SmartSheets, which are reusable whiteboard sheets that cling to surfaces using static electricity.
Schedule breaks
If your meeting is more than an hour in length, you should schedule breaks. As previously mentioned, video meetings can be more draining than in-person and your participants will likely burn out quicker. Give them time to take a quick walk, stretch, use the bathroom and get something to eat.
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