Virtual meetings and events (like webinars, seminars, conferences etc.) are more and more common. Here are some tips for how to make them more interesting, engaging and successful.
1. Prepare a meeting agenda and share it in advance
A meeting agenda is a staple of any kind of meeting, and it is particularly useful for online events. To make things easy for everyone, prepare a formal agenda with all the key issues to be discussed in the meeting and sort them according to your business needs. Also clearly mention what role you expect from each participant in the meeting. Send this agenda at least 24 hours before the meeting, and seek acknowledgment from all the participants.
2. Appoint a meeting moderator
A meeting without a moderator is almost certain to go off track. This is particularly important in online meetings, since there's a high chance of miscommunication due to internet connectivity and audio or video quality issues. Start with asking whether everyone can hear you. Make space for informal exchange to break the ice. If you think there are people on the call who don’t know each other, ask everyone to quickly introduce themselves. Encourage people to ask questions and use the chat feature available in online meeting tools if they don’t want to interrupt the speakers while they are presenting. Make sure everyone has an opportunity to speak.
3. Have a backup plan for your technology
There are many tools available to organize online gatherings, but online tools can also sometimes fail. Whatever is your favourite tool (for example Zoom or Skype), try to ensure that you have a backup plan in case the main tool fails. Make sure your camera and microphone are working and that your meeting software supports multiple participants. Use a variety of tools to keep things interesting, but keep the technology simple so that it doesn’t disrupt the meeting when participants can’t figure it out. Establish norms for technology up-front (for example: cameras on or off; how to get the attention of the moderator; use of the chat function).
4. Join at least ten minutes early
Try to join the meeting room early to make sure that everything is working as planned. That way, if something goes wrong, you can switch to your backup plan and inform participants.
5. Set time limits
Try to keep your meeting to a reasonable length of time - in proportion to its purpose and importance. For example, you can set the meeting duration to 30 minutes and assign 10 minutes to each of the agenda points. This way, the participants will stay focused and the meeting will not go off track.
6. Minimize distractions
Distractions can easily cause miscommunication in online meetings. To avoid them, make sure all your participants are sitting in a closed and well-illuminated room with a clear background. Also, it's better to use a headset instead of your computer microphone to ensure clear communication.
7. Do an after action review
Do this at the end of the meeting before participants leave. It is a great way to keep learning about how to improve next time around by getting participants feedback.
8. Record and send a follow-up note
You don’t need to record every meeting, but for larger events with people from different time zones, it can be helpful for those who are unable to join. Just don’t forget to notify participants that the conversation will be recorded. After the event, make sure you send a follow-up note to everyone who accepted the invite, summarizing key points and next steps.
A meeting agenda is a staple of any kind of meeting, and it is particularly useful for online events. To make things easy for everyone, prepare a formal agenda with all the key issues to be discussed in the meeting and sort them according to your business needs. Also clearly mention what role you expect from each participant in the meeting. Send this agenda at least 24 hours before the meeting, and seek acknowledgment from all the participants.
2. Appoint a meeting moderator
A meeting without a moderator is almost certain to go off track. This is particularly important in online meetings, since there's a high chance of miscommunication due to internet connectivity and audio or video quality issues. Start with asking whether everyone can hear you. Make space for informal exchange to break the ice. If you think there are people on the call who don’t know each other, ask everyone to quickly introduce themselves. Encourage people to ask questions and use the chat feature available in online meeting tools if they don’t want to interrupt the speakers while they are presenting. Make sure everyone has an opportunity to speak.
3. Have a backup plan for your technology
There are many tools available to organize online gatherings, but online tools can also sometimes fail. Whatever is your favourite tool (for example Zoom or Skype), try to ensure that you have a backup plan in case the main tool fails. Make sure your camera and microphone are working and that your meeting software supports multiple participants. Use a variety of tools to keep things interesting, but keep the technology simple so that it doesn’t disrupt the meeting when participants can’t figure it out. Establish norms for technology up-front (for example: cameras on or off; how to get the attention of the moderator; use of the chat function).
4. Join at least ten minutes early
Try to join the meeting room early to make sure that everything is working as planned. That way, if something goes wrong, you can switch to your backup plan and inform participants.
5. Set time limits
Try to keep your meeting to a reasonable length of time - in proportion to its purpose and importance. For example, you can set the meeting duration to 30 minutes and assign 10 minutes to each of the agenda points. This way, the participants will stay focused and the meeting will not go off track.
6. Minimize distractions
Distractions can easily cause miscommunication in online meetings. To avoid them, make sure all your participants are sitting in a closed and well-illuminated room with a clear background. Also, it's better to use a headset instead of your computer microphone to ensure clear communication.
7. Do an after action review
Do this at the end of the meeting before participants leave. It is a great way to keep learning about how to improve next time around by getting participants feedback.
8. Record and send a follow-up note
You don’t need to record every meeting, but for larger events with people from different time zones, it can be helpful for those who are unable to join. Just don’t forget to notify participants that the conversation will be recorded. After the event, make sure you send a follow-up note to everyone who accepted the invite, summarizing key points and next steps.
MORE INFORMATION / SOURCES
- UNDP, 2020. Hosting productive online meetings 101. Digital Now. https://digitalnow.undp.org/content/digitalnow/en/home.html