Kim Huynh-Ba, Managing Director, Pharmalytik Consulting LLC
The Covid pandemic changed our working habits. Many people are working remotely or in certain hybrid functions. It seems that we are bombarding with more virtual meetings every day. Whether the meeting happens using Zoom, Teams, GotoMeeting, GoogleMeet, WebEx, etc., the effectiveness of the meeting relies heavily on the leadership and how information is communicated. Good preparation for meetings, and communication throughout, will make the meetings more effective yet accomplished. Here are 5 points to help you run a successful virtual meeting.
Set an agenda with purpose and time.
The agenda is a roadmap for any meeting, and it will guide the participants; however, for online meetings, it’d be helpful if the agenda contains the valuable bullets points that you want to address. What information that you want to share, what challenges that we have, what decision that we need? This also helps to set the expectations and keep the meeting focus on track. We all experienced going to a meeting and left without understanding the goal of this meeting. You might want to check if there is anything that needs to be added to the agenda.
The agenda should also be shared before the meeting to give people a chance to review and prepare to contribute. Any background information should be communicated before the meeting also, especially if there is a vast amount of data to review.
We should also set the time and stick with it. There is nothing more annoying than allowing scope creep or someone going on-and-on on a topic that is not relevant.
Use reliable technology and ensure compatibility.
Different from traditional meetings, for virtual meetings, technology is the tool for communication. Therefore, you want to test the software or any other tools you plan to use before the meeting. It is also helpful to inform participants to check their software to make sure it is accessible. Time may be wasted waiting for people to download new software or familiarize themselves with the features and functionality of the platform. Check the internet connection, microphone, camera to ensure that everything is working properly. This helps to minimize technical issues during the meeting. It is also helpful if you have a backup plan such as an IT contact or phone number.
The size of the virtual meeting is also important, and it should be kept small, less than 15 people. If the audience is large, meetings can be held in the form of a presentation. Most will be in a listening mode. If discussion or collaboration is needed, then consider breakout sessions. For a large audience, multiple speakers may be helpful to keep the audience’s attention.
Encourage active participation.
Keep participants engaged throughout the virtual meeting, maintain their attention and active involvement by asking probing questions, sharing ideas, and providing feedback. Encourage participation and provide opportunities for everyone to contribute. Use engagement tools such as polls or breakout rooms to encourage interaction. Meeting etiquette should also be established. Encourage participants to mute their microphones when not speaking, raise hands if there is question, or use the chat function if they want to make any comment. It is also helpful to remind people to be respectful of others’ opinions and ideas, if participants are not familiar with each other. Consider using visual aids or screen sharing during your meeting to focus on the topics of discussion, enhance the presentation, and maintain interest; however, the slides should only contain main high-level topics to avoid people drowning into the details.
Since body language is minimized with virtual meetings, active listening becomes exponentially critical. Keep an open mind and draw out contributions of those critical individuals. You may want to consider a set of seeded questions to fill in to make sure all the time is used effectively.
Manage time effectively.
Stick to the scheduled time for the meeting and avoid going off-topic. If some topics require more time than others, prioritize them accordingly. When there are a lot of inputs, you may want to let people know the order of inputs, so people don’t talk over each other. Online meetings do not allow side conversations, so you need to run them effectively and avoid anyone dominating your meeting. Track the time spent on each agenda item and remind people of the time remaining. Let people know if you make a change to the schedule.
One must also be aware that ideas may suddenly come up and tempt the group to discuss unrelated issues. This can cause members to focus on different topics, wasting valuable time. It should be assessed early to make sure that the group stays on track. If needed, additional topics can be put on the next meeting’s agenda.
Wrap-up a virtual meeting.
At the end of the meeting, you must summarize any action items, responsibilities, timelines, and any follow-ups to recap the meeting. It is also helpful to share decisions made, acknowledge any significant contributions, and have a clear outline of next steps. Every meeting should be followed with a written summary to recap any decisions made or any action items agreed upon. This helps maintain accountability and track any progress after the meeting.
If a follow-up meeting is necessary, it should be determined right away. A time can also be scheduled, if possible, so everyone understands the reason for the follow-up meeting.
Conclusion
Running a virtual meeting is difficult and takes preparation. Virtual meetings can be prone to distractions and disengagement. Thus, it is critical to keep participants involved to make sure critical points are discussed and decisions can be made. With little preparation, virtual meetings can be better organized, meetings can be more enjoyable, and participants feel accomplished.
References
1. Schwartzberg, Joel, 10 Tactics to Keep Your Meeting on Track, Harvard Business Review, January 05, 2022.
2. Cook, Amy O., How to Conduct an Effective Virtual Meeting, Forbes, October 7, 2020.
3. Frisch, Bob and Greene, Cary, What It Takes to Run a Great Hybrid Meeting, Harvard Business Review, June 03, 2021.