RAINMAKERS
Remote Working : The New Normal
By Dr . Clifford Ferguson
Running remote meetings are now a necessary evil today , but a move to virtual meetings could bring long term value . The shift might be a great opportunity to break some unhelpful habits and rituals in the room , and run more focused and productive meetings which will , in turn , make your leadership more focused and productive .
All that said , virtual meetings , present some significant challenges , whether around adopting the new technology needed to host virtual meetings , chairing and facilitating virtual meetings , ensuring meeting papers are safely distributed , and keeping meeting attendees engaged and the conversation focused .
These challenges are worth tackling on the journey to more effective meetings , decisions , and outcomes . And to help you do just that , this checklist will guide you through everything you need to consider before , during , and after your virtual meeting to make sure it runs as smoothly as possible .
Before The Meeting Put the right technology in place
When adopting new technology for your meetings - whether conferencing technology or a digital portal - it ’ s always better to choose something simple and intuitive than something rich in unusable features . Make sure you consider the needs and preferences of the crowd around your virtual table . Nothing raises the blood pressure of a member , or senior executive like trying and failing to get new technology to work .
Here are some simple questions to ask yourself when considering technology for
It ’ s still true that body language represents more than 50 % of effective communication . That ’ s even more important in a virtual setting where visual cues will tell you whether the meeting is going to plan and who may have a contribution to make . A virtual face to face also ensures that the meeting is something that must be actively attended too . a virtual meeting : Would your end user describe the technology as simple and intuitive ? Does it require training , and if so can it be delivered online , remotely , and swiftly ? If your team members get stuck , will they ring you , internal IT , or can they call the vendor ? Is the vendor able to provide training for your end-users - or will you end up carrying the load ? Have you tested your technology provider ’ s support lines ? If not , we recommend you try them ... After all , your experience of the vendor at the outset will be the same over the lifetime of the agreement - are they responsive , always available , smart , and kind ?
Keep the agenda focused on what matters
You need to manage your virtual meeting time more assertively than you might do in a face-to-face meeting . For all their advantages , it can be a challenge to stay focused in lengthy remote meetings - and that means more discipline will be needed .
Here are some suggestions on how to stay focused : Review and agree last meeting minutes before the call or set up a separate 20-minute call for that before the meeting . It ’ s also a good opportunity to test infrastructure ; Ensure all questions , clarifications , or challenges on the pack are asked before the meeting so they can be dealt with beforehand ( your portal should enable you to do this ); Put the meaty items that will generate plenty of discussion , usually strategy and supervisory , at the top of the agenda when attention and energy
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