Why Virtual Meetings Should Become the New Normal

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May 18, 2020

Desperate times call for desperate measures…or is this the ‘new norm’?

We’ve all been there before. We’ve all paused our work to head to the conference room, gathered around a big round table, watched a few slides, heard a few words, sat through all of the unnecessary ‘fluff’ questions, and headed back into our office sections thinking that 40-minute long meeting could have been summed up into an email. Trust me, been there a thousand times. But what about those meetings that actually are necessary to be face to face? Are we really utilizing our time and resources to their fullest potential by stopping our work, heading to the conference room, waiting for everyone else to stop their work, just so they can show up and take an extra five minutes to get situated, and finally get started? Thankfully, I think those days are behind us. Ever since COVID-19 has planted us in our homes with no other option than to connect virtually, I think we can all agree that we will see a continual rise in this form of communication.

Here are some tips on how to make the most out of your virtual meetings:

1. Keep the crowd to a minimum.

When too many get involved, not enough speak up.

2. Engage your audience.

Set the tone and expectations early on. You can do this by beginning with an ice breaker or relaxed conversation and simply stating your expectations for engagement. This way, when it comes time for you to ask questions, everyone feels comfortable enough to engage when prompted to answer.

3. Mark it in the Calendar

Use your calendar app to invite your attendees and provide them with the login code and password ahead of time. This will help keep things timely and proficient.

4. Have a routine.

Having a routine helps with consistency when discussing different topics. Let’s keep those unexpected storyline twists to the movies and books, not our meetings.