Companies need to adopt new ways to make virtual meetings successful and make the most of available tools
The majority of companies, including Box, Twitter, and Square, are planning to continue the remote working model at least until the end of the year amid COVID-19. Thus, virtual meetings are going to be an integral part of the new normal. A different approach is necessary while conducting virtual meetings as compared to the ones in-person. From figuring out how to moderate discussions and ensuring everyone feels heard, are some of the essential factors one needs to look after in the case of virtual meetings.
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To make sure everyone in the meeting stays on track, it is crucial they are planned and organized well before it is scheduled. Establishing best practices ahead of time can save executives from IT glitches during the meeting.
Setting guidelines for a meeting ensures everyone knows their role and what is expected of them. It is important that participants feel they are heard during a meeting. Not everyone will be comfortable expressing in an online meeting setting; therefore, leaders need to know when to let people discuss a topic and when to pull back.
Using collaboration tools is also essential to help people participate in meetings by posting comments, messaging, or sending updates to a chat. Workplace by Facebook is one such collaboration tool that helps in keeping the global company connected.
It enables employees to call, message, and chat and share ideas with colleagues and, most importantly, collaborate in real-time during meetings.
Virtual meeting apps like Zoom come with a key feature that allows users to recording meetings. Other advantages of online meetings include automatic transcription and real-time collaboration.
With the right tools, virtual meeting tools can spin a single meeting into more focused meetings in the middle of a call. It is important to get innovative with virtual meetings, and leveraging these tools can make the experience better than in-person meetings.
Exploring virtual tools is vital to see whether there are processes that can be automated. Moreover, getting creative with collaborative features can result in greater productivity in meetings.
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As organizations across the globe are working remotely, virtual meetings are taking place in kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms. Unexpected interruptions from pets, spouses, kids could happen during virtual meetings.
Instead of treating it like a disturbance, leaders should take it as a good opportunity to know their team and coworkers better. Managers can even consider hosting virtual happy hours with the team to boost morale during the COVID-19, taking advantage of the lockdown to strengthen the bond with the teams. Although virtual meetings are taking place at a long distance, it has brought teams and leaders closer.
