Mastering the art of virtual meetings

Whether you use Zoom, Google Meet, GoToMeeting or any of the many virtual meeting platforms, fatigue is a very real issue many of us are experiencing in our businesses’ “new normal.” Leaders are challenged with how to fight the fatigue, increase participation and keep the spirit of in-person meetings alive.

Thankfully, there are some simple steps you can take to master the art of virtual meetings, ranging from the planning to the post-meeting stage. According to Andrea Driessen, Chief Boredom Buster at No More Boring Meetings, there are four questions we should ask ourselves when planning a virtual meeting. These include:

• How will we engage attendees in ways that can only be experienced online? Your meeting should be unique (participants won’t experience it anywhere else) and deliver immediate value.

• What do we want the audience to think, feel, do or believe following the meeting? Do you have a call to action? Do you want them to share their experience with others? You should have clear goals for every meeting.

• If we could invite anyone to the meeting, dead or alive, who would we choose and why? This question may seem odd, but the answer can help shape your goals and expectations.

• What comments is the bus driver overhearing? In other words, be prepared to monitor what people are posting in the chat section of the meeting. All questions should be answered if not during, then after the meeting. Comments can provide powerful insight as you plan your next virtual meeting.

Meeting length and frequency should also be considered when planning. Anything more than an hour can result in reduced attention, participants leaving the “room” and, for those who attend multiple virtual meetings a week, compounded fatigue. In addition, consider how often you really need to meet. For example, does your team need to meet virtually every day, or will once a week meet your business needs?

Lastly, when planning your virtual meeting, incorporate experiences that will make it more relevant and fun for your participants. These could include inviting a special guest speaker, break-out sessions and fun activities like a virtual escape room, trivia game or live building tour.

In our next blog in this series we share more ideas for engaging your participants and taking virtual meeting from passive to active. Contact AOE today!