By Shannon Gregg, Ph.D.
On Friday, March 13, 2020, a forcing mechanism created an urgent need for all meetings to move distinctly online.
Online, on Zoom, on Google Hangout, on Webex, but most certainly not in the office.
Rules were quickly set, and memes were born. New phrases entered our lexicon, like “You’re on mute.” Filters became important. Slowly, our pets and our kids and our partners and our homes became very known to the folks on the other end of the screen, and our shared experiences involved online team building events and happy hours.
The quarantine era of the pandemic changed it all – but now, with “Return to Office” alive, we’re faced with completely new demands. Teams are trying to figure out how to manage when some meeting attendees are gathered in a conference room while others are virtual. Where do your eyes look if you’re presenting in the room? How do we ensure a democratic experience? What are the new nuances?
Here are three tips to help you run – or participate in – effective web meetings:
1. Set an agenda and share it ahead of the meeting.
Understanding what your critical outcomes are – how you will know that the meeting accomplished what it intended to – will help to drive the agenda.
2. Define the rules of engagement.
Does everyone stay on mute until they want to speak, and the presenter notices someone off of mute wants to join in? Do participants use the “raise hand” feature? Does the meeting organizer first ask for questions in the chat and then in the room? Do people join the meeting with cameras on or off?
3. Be prepared for a digital interruption.
If the primary presenter is remote, ensure that someone else has a copy of their presentation to share in case they lose connection. Put security controls on so that only those invited can join the meeting. Have a dial-in number as a backup. Think through the potential risks and have a plan to deal with them.
Every organization has a different culture, and this extends into digital culture. Be aware that web meetings carry a distinct form of digital body language, and companies may approach web meetings differently.
For more tips on web meetings, join us in the upcoming workshop Becoming a Web-meeting All*Star.
Dr. Gregg is CEO of Cloud Adoption Solutions and member of the Confirmed Thought Leadership team. Join her workshop on Becoming a Web-meeting All*Star.