As more and more of us are learning how to work from home, we are also having to learn how to navigate working more digitally. A lot of meetings are now moving entirely online, which means that more of us are having to get used to undertaking a lot of video conference calls. If you are not used to online meeting then they may take some getting used to – especially now your whole team is probably working remotely. While it can be helpful to treat it in a similar way to an in-person meeting, there are a few other things you need to take into account when you are on a video call.
Here is a guide to the do’s and dont’s of online meetings:
- Make your purpose clear. Before the meeting starts, write down the purpose of the meeting from your attendee’s point of view, and create a slide that your attendees can view before the meeting begins
- Start at an odd time. This may sound counter-intuitive but if you start your meeting at an odd time, such as 3 minutes or 7 minutes past the hour it will not only mean that more people log on in time, but it has also been proven to focus attendees minds more. It also has the added advantage of missing the huge spikes that many platforms are seeing on the hour and on the half hour as people struggle to log on!
- Start on time. Whatever time you decide to start the meeting, make sure you do start it on time. This not only shows that you respect the people who actually bothered to log on on time, it also means that less people will be late for your next online meeting
- Don’t recap. If people do show up late, and want you to recap what they have missed – don’t. This may sound rude, but it is a sure-fire way to make sure they log on in time next time
- Do take minutes. Nominate someone to take minutes so that everyone concentrates on the meeting itself, and not on writing notes. A good tip is to get the minute taker to keep posting their notes in the chat area as well, so that any corrections can be made as you go along
- Make it interactive. If the meeting system you are using has the capability for your attendees to be interactive – which meeting rooms does – then make sure you use them. It is the best way to make people feel that they are actually part of the meeting and not just bystanders
If you are looking for online meeting rooms then you need to give Meeting Rooms a go – no downloads or setup needed.