Virtual meetings face many of the difficulties that face meetings in person but they are also subject to distractions and technological obstacles. However, you can organize effective virtual meetings by following a few basic rules for meeting conduct.
The importance of having an agenda is for running virtual meetings on time, and for keeping participants engaged throughout the session. You can also encourage participation by asking open-ended questions, soliciting feedback and assigning roles to participants for taking notes or recording next steps.
If you’re making slides or other visuals for your presentation, be sure to test them ahead of time, along with any hardware or software you may need. Be sure to arrive early in order to resolve any technical issues that might arise prior to the scheduled start time.
It’s difficult to read the body language or feelings when you’re not able see the participants. So, try to keep eye contact with everyone, or ask people to do this. You should also use a quiet space with no distractions so that you can concentrate on the meeting. Shut off your microphone if you’re not speaking.
Request feedback at the conclusion of a session if you are the moderator. This will help identify areas for improvement and provide participants with an understanding of how their input is valued. In the last two minutes of a meeting it’s an excellent idea to present a brief summary of the next steps, and to track any action items that were assigned.
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