5 tips for virtual meetings

The coronavirus pandemic has us all on edge and is changing our lives considerably. Security measures such as social distancing hit us hard but are an absolute must at the present time. Virtual meetings are thus on the rise. They make an important contribution when it comes to staying in contact with each other.

However, different rules apply to virtual meetings as opposed to traditional meetings in the actual “physical” office. The following tips are meant to help you organize your virtual meetings perfectly:

Communication is not just based on language but also relies on gestures and facial expressions. Particularly a person’s face tells us a lot about their personality. What’s more, it’s easier to have meaningful conversations when you can face each other, both literally and figuratively.

A chairman is even more important for virtual meetings than for traditional meetings. It’s their task to make every participant feel included and to ensure that everyone gets the chance to get their point across. In virtual meetings, this is essential because unstable connections sometimes lead to unwanted interruptions.

An agenda is the foundation of a virtual meeting. While it may be time-consuming to prepare, it also makes the meeting more efficient and structured. The extra effort is therefore justified. Ideally, there shouldn’t be more than 5 items on your agenda.

Virtual meetings require a lot of focus. There’s simply no point in a meeting dragging on for an entire day. Rather, you should subdivide the meeting into shorter sessions of 1 or 2 hours. These sessions should, if possible, also deal with different topics. Give the participants the opportunity to take breaks in between.

Provided the participants give their consent, you can easily record meetings using modern videoconferencing solutions such as Microsoft Teams. That way, the results are documented and the team members who weren’t able to take part can be kept in the loop.

Virtual meetings are not rocket science. If you stick to a couple of rules, you can collaborate efficiently with your colleagues using digital conference systems. This doesn’t only apply in crisis situations - remote working and flexible working arrangements are on the rise, and will soon become the norm in many industries. Virtual meetings play a very significant role in that regard: If you use them correctly, your whole company can benefit form them.

If you need further tips for your virtual meetings or are interested in learning how to collaborate with teams of employees working from home, just check out our free webinar “Digital Team Management - Productive and efficient in the home office”. Just take a look on April 16th at 1 pm am - but register now, since the number of participants is limited in order to allow everyone to ask their individual questions.