17 Jan Getting more value from your digital meetings – Tips to get more Value

A successful online meeting involves more variables and considerations than an in-person meeting does. The organiser is responsible for organising speakers, an agenda, and the platform they will utilise in addition to evaluating and taking into account technological requirements.

Here are some suggestions for running a productive remote meeting, whether you’re the host or an attendee.

Tips for the Organiser

Keep the meeting structured.

Make sure the meeting’s agenda is written in advance with any necessary input from participants. Establishing a concise list of discussion topics and action items will help you stay on topic during remote meetings. Before and throughout the conversation, the agenda should be discussed. At the conclusion of each section, allow time for a Q&A or discussion.

Plan ice breakers.

If participants in a remote meeting are strangers to one another, ice breakers are meant to help them feel at ease. Introduce yourself and tell us something fascinating about yourself, everyone.

Appoint a lead or moderator.

A team member can be chosen to chair the meeting. They will be in charge of outlining the agenda, adhering to the timetable, and facilitating the conversation. They could share the schedule or discussion starters you came up with in our first point with other people.

Provide access links and invitations in advance.

Send your team calendar invites, then using the conferencing platform of your choice, establish access links. Before the call, make sure that everyone can access the platform.

Assign roles.

Before a remote meeting, it is a good idea to assign tasks if there are numerous presenters and subjects. Who will record the notes? Who is in charge of conducting follow-up? The presenters are who? Make sure that these specifics are discussed beforehand to prevent any snags.

Make sure your platform works properly before the call.

Test the system with one or two persons before the call to make sure everything is in working order. This is especially crucial when there are numerous callers.

Stick to a time limit.

Nobody’s availability after the scheduled time is guaranteed just because they are all at home. The same hard stop time should be observed for both in-person and remote sessions.

Invite the right people.

Do not invite all of your team members if they are not required to attend. People who don’t take part in a call may not be required in the future. You can succeed by making notes and modifying your plan as necessary.

After the meeting, share notes and to-dos.

To prevent wasting time during your remote meeting, it is crucial that you decide on the following actions and communicate the results to your team.

Organise a central database of knowledge.

Control vital information in a centralised database. This can be used to record meetings, projects, and business information.

The organiser indeed carries a huge load, but they are not the only ones. Attendees should also be well-prepared, present, and observe proper protocol when participating in an online meeting.

Tips for the attendees

Online meetings are only as effective as their attendees. Here are some suggestions to help participants in remote meetings make the most of their time and contribute efficiently:

Don’t multitask.

Make sure you pay attention to the conversation completely. Just using ordinary civility is all that is required.

If you aren’t talking, put the microphone on mute.

Your cat shouldn’t be heard meowing in the background by anyone. As soon as this occurs, the topic swiftly shifts to “What sort of cat do you have? What a lovely girl!” Unmuted participants have the potential to ruin remote sessions.

Turn your camera on.

Face-to-face communication is necessary for building rapport and creating effective teamwork. A key component in making this possible is the use of cameras. Remember to turn it on!

Make sure you have the right gear.

Purchase a high-quality webcam and microphone if you want to project the greatest possible image of yourself. Microphones and webcams that come with laptops and computers aren’t of the highest calibre. Webcams and microphones are available on Amazon in a variety of styles. Especially if you work from home, it will be a wise investment.

Prepare your workspace before the call.

You ought to be in a silent, noise-free setting so that you can concentrate on the chat.

Keep your voice clear and slow.

Sometimes, video conferencing will stop working. Your voice will be heard more clearly if you talk slowly and deliberately.

Be thorough and descriptive.

Remote calls can only share audio and a screen. Be too specific to ensure that everyone understands what you’re saying.

To illustrate your points, share your screen.

If further clarity is needed, you can screen share your desktop. You’ll save time and get a better understanding of the subject by doing this.

Ensure your to-dos are completed on time.

You will retain overall productivity wherever you work.

Do you need any assistance with your IT

If you need any assistance setting up meetings, setting up hardware or with anything else to do with IT please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us here at Apogee and our team of experts can assist you.