Organisations the world over are increasingly turning to the virtual medium for any type of meeting right from a regular team meeting to a high stake client meeting. Looking at the current trend, it looks like virtual meetings will soon completely replace regular face-to-face meetings. So as an organisation it will be good for you to set down certain guidelines for these virtual meetings. This will ensure everyone is on the same page and thus avoid confusion.
Since the most regular meetings you will have to organise will be the team update meetings, let us look at the guidelines you can follow to ensure this type of meeting is a success in every aspect.
Set Convenient Timings
Virtual team meetings should follow the same time schedules as normal face-to-face office meetings (i.e. held within official office hours). In case you have team members logging in from other countries, find a time which is convenient for everyone. Also in such cases a strict adherence to time should be followed. Care should be taken that none of the participants have to stay up late in the night for the team discussion.
Ensure the Team is Comfortable with the New Technology
Many members of your team may not be aware of the numerous facilities available on the video conferencing app. So it will be a good idea to organise a training session where any member who is more proficient in the workings of the app can take the others through the process, options available and other technical details.
It will be a good idea to set a policy where all the participants log in ten minutes earlier in order to sort out any technical issues that may arise. In this way you can ensure that all technicalities are sorted out before the actual meeting starts.
Engage Everyone
The virtual medium may take a bit of getting used to and some members may be initially uncomfortable using it. To ensure everyone gets an equal say, make the sessions interactive and draw out any member who is quiet, ask them their opinion on the issue under discussion. Setting time limits will also ensure the discussion is not monopolised by a few participants.
Set Etiquette Protocols
Video conferencing is a new unexplored area, your team may not be aware of the do’s and don’ts of interaction via the virtual medium, here are a few ground rules you can set out for the team in relation to video conferencing etiquette:
- Everyone should dress professionally
- They should choose a location which is secluded to ensure there is no interruption by family members
- Participants should use the mute button when not contributing to the conversation (to avoid background noises like traffic sounds, phones ringing etc)
In these ways you can ensure that the virtual team meeting is a success and achieves the purpose for which it was convened.
