Recent advancements in collaboration technologies have made it possible to do business with people across the globe and for companies to hire skilled professionals from anywhere. However, some factors may impact the effectiveness of online communications. Rachel Eleza, marketing director at Upsuite, describes four ways you can make virtual meetings productive and inclusive.
As people working together stay in different locationsOpens a new window , the need to communicate to ensure that everyone is on the same page has never been more important, hence the need for regular virtual meetings. But, we can agree that it is not always that virtual meetings become a success.
So, what can you do to ensure that your online meetings don’t turn out to be a waste of time? Here are four tips that you can employ in your meetings to make them productive and inclusive.
1. Choose a Place With no Distractions
One advantage of virtual meetings is that participants can join in from anywhere. However, this doesn’t mean that all places are ideal for a successful meeting. A place with background noise and numerous distractions can diminish your focus and that of others and derail the meeting’s momentum. For instance, if you are connecting from home, think of how much time you are wasting attending to distractions from your family members. It would also be hard to hear what others are saying on top of the noises from neighbors or nearby traffic. If you are to conduct a successful meeting, it is paramount that you look for a quiet and peaceful place.
Coworking spaces provide the ideal place to hold virtual meetings. The atmosphere in these places exudes professionalism, and they are free from any form of distractions. You can even book a private office if you want some privacy. In addition, you will have a professional-looking background, so you won’t need to turn off the camera for the embarrassment of showing your home. For instance, if you are in Hollywood, a coworking space HollywoodOpens a new window is your best bet for a successful virtual meeting.
Learn More: 7 Tips for Collaborating Effectively While Your Team is Remote
2. Have a Good Internet Connection
Virtual meetings happen over the internet. If you have poor or slow internet, it translates to challenges in joining the meeting. Moreover, if you manage to join, you will have issues hearing what the rest are saying or passing a point across to the rest of the team. You need to be equipped with a fast internet connection if your meeting is to be seamless. Â
When connecting to virtual meetings over the internet using a conference tool of your choice, you can’t entirely ignore the aspect of the security of your data. Some of these tools reportedly lack security features such as end-to-end encryption and are vulnerability to hijackers. As much as possible, ensure that your internet connection is secure and private to protect yourself and your data. The best way to do this is using a VPN to connect to the internet as it provides a secure channel where everything you do over the internet passes through.Â
3. Choose the Right Technology
The market is full of conferencing tools to choose from. These tools are different, and each comes with its unique features. It is very important to select one with all the features you want to conduct a successful meeting.
For starters, ensure that your tool of choice can accommodate the number of participants required for a meeting. If you are holding a meeting with people spread across different time zones, you need to have a tool that accommodates this. You can’t also ignore the fact that people will be connecting over different devices, ensuring that the tool you choose can do this. Think also about the features you need, such as screen sharing, chatting or recording the meeting, and ensuring that they are available.
Learn More: 5 Ways Remote Teams Can Collaborate Better and Meet Business Goals
4. Utilize the Screen-Sharing Feature
The time lag is common in virtual meetings. Someone could be passing across a point, only for each person to hear it at different times. It is possible that some participants may not understand what is being communicated by others.
To ensure that everyone stays on the same page:
- Make use of the screen-sharing feature.
- Make a presentation beforehand that you can use to take the team through during the meeting.
- Share your screen so that people can read what is written to confirm what is being said. It becomes clearer and understandable to everyone, which also encourages them to comment and share feedback.
Conclusion
Unlike in a physical meeting, virtual meetingsOpens a new window require a different approach in terms of communication and preparation. They require thorough planning from every participant. Encourage everyone to familiarize themselves with the platform beforehand to ensure ease of use. It is also important to record the meeting and share it later so that everyone can go through it without the pressure of being in front of the camera.
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