Together with the change in the workflow, quarantine has also altered our modes of interaction. Now we can only flashback to the times when we could just walk into a colleague’s office to ask a question, talk something over, or make a suggestion.
Still, keeping the team active during this period is vital, so online meetings are taking over both in the leading companies and small start-ups.
Video calls make it easy to keep track of the progress and stimulate the workforce. Still, along with the new trend for Zoom conferences came fatigue. People are sick and tired of sitting in front of computers, and this rarely adds up to effective work. Since the problem of increasing productivity in online meetings is so essential, today we will present some surprising ways to get your work meetings to a higher level letting your team be comfortable with conferences, timing, and the form of working online.
7 Secrets of Making Remote Meetings Fun and Engaging
The problem that we have come to during the pandemic is, in fact, not entirely about the impact of technology. To get a list of things solved, a team needs far more than just everybody in – a thoughtful leader, logical agenda, and comfortable timing (at least). If virtual meetings are the only kind of meeting we can afford these times, then our main task is to stock up on tips and tricks to help us make them work perfectly.
Secret #1. Make it easy to collaborate.
Before you actually conference, make sure you know the capabilities of the software and hardware you own. Often, basic tools such as Google Meet aren’t enough. In fact, recent research says that having shared space for online meetings such as WebEx and BlackboardCollaborate is super-effective.
Plan to use a separate program for each goal – for instance, start connecting with Google Hangouts and then go for AdobeSpark Slideshow Maker or InVision (which is a great place to collaborate) to move design projects on. Explore the web for the new space for visual presentations such as Clideo or the slideshow maker Fastreel to go visual.
Secret #2. Be okay to let team members drop off.
If you are wondering how to conduct a meeting and make everyone feel comfortable, here is what we suggest: show that you value the time of every participant by… letting them drop off. There is nothing wrong with letting somebody go in the middle of the conference as soon as they already played their role. This will also feel for employees less obligatory.
Secret #3. Plan the content in advance.
You probably don’t want to waste time during the conference, do you? Having a plan which you stick to and sharing it with other people before the meeting starts is a good sign – they will have some time to prepare, digest the agenda, and conceive questions that will make the team meeting more effective.
Secret #4. Get the right people included.
Needless to say, large audiences are mostly unmanageable so, please, avoid inviting those who have nothing to do with the conversation. For you, as an organizer, a good tip is to start meeting with the key team members – other leaders – and later, expand the circle to 10-15 people and see how you handle this. Generally, 10-12 members are perfect for providing active engagement.
Secret #5. Give your team responsibilities.
This is just like with classes at college – if people aren’t carrying any role, the engagement will fall. Setting functions of, for example, a timekeeper, tech squad, and secretary to write down the main points will add excitement, especially if there are some humorous roles. Besides these “jobs,” make sure everyone prepares their piece of data or does the work for this class.
Secret #6. Do not set the four-wall limit.
Sometimes it’s funny how we overcomplicate things. While serious meetups such as passing big projects require facetime, others just need a mike. A nice tip to make members of your team more relaxed and save time is to have a conversation as everyone does relevant to their activities. Having a walk in the park or traveling by train – all of this will add an informal touch and set the workforce into a good mood.
Secret #7. Have fun and engage your audience.
Now, this advice might seem the most obvious one. Yet, it often happens to be one of the most neglected effective meeting strategies. There is nothing special you’ve got to do – just love your job, provide nice visuals and lively interaction, let the team share their views in the end. If the audience is new, use ice-breakers and small talks.
Now, we want you to feel confident and overcome this problem of boring and pointless meetings with a fresh breath of friendly interaction, well-thought-through plans, and other guidelines we shared above.
