Engaging in virtual meeting best practices

In every team meeting, you have an opportunity to build trust and connection with your clients and coworkers and to increase engagement. Don’t squander that opportunity by being unprepared or leaving everything to chance.

Engaging in virtual meeting best practices
Follow these best practices to help you practice rock-star virtual meeting etiquette and ensure participation and engagement in the virtual meetings you attend:

» Do a tech check. Before joining a meeting, check your settings to ensure that your microphone and camera are turned on. That way. you can participate when asked and others can see and hear you. If your Internet is running slow from home, check out the following:

• Are others in the house eating up bandwidth by streaming Netflix or being online? Can you ask them to wait until your meeting is finished?

• Do you have 50 other files open on your laptop? Close down all unnecessary programs while attending a virtual meeting.

• Can you plug directly into your modem?

This will speed things up considerably.

» Be ready to join. Try to join a virtual meeting via your computer. The quality of a video call on a smartphone isn’t nearly as reliable or clear. Use a headset or earplugs to improve sound quality and keep the noise down for your housemates, family, or pets.

» Insist on video when important. Body language is crucial for interpreting whether your audience is engaged. Video makes people feel more engaged because it allows team members to see each other’s emotions and reactions, which immediately humanizes the room. They’re no longer just voices on a phone line; they’re the faces of your coworkers. Turn the video camera on early before the meeting starts so people can chat casually prior to the meeting. If the meeting doesn’t require everyone to be on camera, plan to turn it on quickly before the meeting starts, just to say hello. It’s a great morale booster and can set up positive energy for the meeting.

» Don’t underestimate the icebreaker. Icebreakers are discussion questions or activities to help participants relax and ease them into a group meeting. Icebreakers can create a positive group atmosphere, break down social barriers, and help people become more familiar and trust each other. Have some fun with virtual icebreakers, such as sharing a meme that you like or a picture of your workspace or the view outside your window. Keep icebreakers quick and positive, not too personal.

» Request or send an agenda in advance. If you’ve been asked to attend a meeting, be sure to request an agenda so that you can think about the content, formulate ideas, and prepare to be engaged. If you’re leading the meeting, incorporate collaborative discussions in your agenda so that your meetings are engaging and people want to contribute. Use your tech tools such as breakout rooms, whiteboards, polling, and chat to get everyone involved.

» Ask for opinions. Go out of your way to address individuals by name and ask specific questions if you haven’t heard from them. Don’t let one or two people dominate the discussion. Pay attention to the attendees that you haven’t heard from and call on them for their opinions. By verbally engaging your meeting participants, you can ensure that everyone feels included, and they aren’t multitasking by messing around on Facebook or doing other work.

» Follow up. You know that informal gathering that occurs immediately after an in-person meeting has ended, when attendees have side conversations and process what was said in the meeting? Plan to reach out and follow up with other attendees to have open, transparent, and less guarded conversations about what they really care about or are worried about. This quick follow-up shows that you care and is a great way to build trust.

Source: Working From Home by Tara Powers, MS, et al.