Making Virtual Meetings Work

Making Virtual Meetings Work

Whether your small business is a construction company or a law firm, as it grows your employees and clients may become increasingly spread out geographically. This makes the need to stay connected more important than ever. Keeping a team and clients in different time zones up-to-date, however, can be a challenge when you are not meeting face-to-face. That is where virtual meetings come in, serving as a common link to people whether or not they are physically in the office. Use these tips to make your next virtual meeting a success:

Keep it Moving

People’s attention spans only last so long, a fact that becomes extremely apparent during a slow, drawn-out meeting. That is why it is crucial to keep the momentum up and trim unnecessary chatter. Rick Lepsinger, president of OnPoint Consulting New York City, stresses the importance of distinguishing between meetings that are productive and just informational, with the latter being unnecessary. “If all you are doing is sharing information, you should find another way to do that,” he says.

In that same vein, figure out specifically what you plan to discuss by laying out a firm agenda. “What you do before the meeting can be just as important as what you do in the meeting,” says Rick Brenner, principal at Chaco Canyon Consulting in Cambridge, Mass. He also suggests laying out a “not-agenda” of topics that won’t be discussed to keep the conversation from derailing.

Use Engaging Tools

One of the most valuable aspects of a virtual meeting is the opportunity for creative storytelling that keeps people connected. Your small business can benefit from using a variety of communication mediums and collaborative software programs that make virtual meetings interactive and engaging. Depending on the situation, your team might utilize a conference call, a video chat, interactive polling or a combination of these methods. Be sure to choose a data plan with enough flexibility to let your team experiment with all kinds of virtual tools.

“A lot of what virtual work implies is that the leader and the team members need to be much more deliberate about their interaction,” Lepsinger says. The advantage, and the fun, of a virtual meeting is in its ability to let everyone take part.

No matter what collaborative software or tools you prefer, be sure that whoever conducts the virtual meetings understands how the technology works, and that the people your team is communicating with are on the same page. Brenner also recommends setting up a test run before your first virtual meeting, especially if it is a particularly important conference.

Consider Cultural Differences

When holding a virtual meeting with people from different cultures, there are bound to be some misunderstandings occasionally, whether it is a language miscommunication or an accidental offense. Because the social cues are different in a virtual setting, Lepsinger emphasizes the need for active listening in these situations. Ensure that participants are engaged and understand the discussion by checking in periodically. This is especially important to remember if the conversation is taking place over the phone, with no visual cues to determine how people are doing. If at any point you or someone on your team needs additional clarification, don’t hesitate to be honest. Keeping the lines of communication open is what makes virtual meetings successful.

Gather Useful Feedback

The more accustomed you and your team get to participating in virtual meetings, the smoother they will go. Until the members of your small business are completely comfortable with the technology and procedures of virtual meetings, feel free to ask participants for helpful feedback. And don’t just gather responses from your own meeting participants. As Brenner notes, there are likely going to be a lot of virtual meetings occurring at a company at any given time, which means that you can get advice from fellow meeting managers as well about the best practices.

Virtual meetings can help members of your small business stay connected, engaged and informed, no matter where they are in the world. Even if you are new to conducting meetings on a virtual basis, don’t let the setup intimidate you or your team. As long as you keep your meetings brief and engaging and practice using the technology, your small business’ virtual meetings will be a boon to your company.

Julia Haskins is a technology, health and lifestyle journalist based in New York City.

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