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Pre-meeting preparation tips

Ask yourself, Is the video meeting really essential, or is there a better alternative?
Before organizing a meeting, double-check whether the video meeting is really the ‘need of the hour.’
You can either make use of email, online chat, or virtual meetings if you can convey the message effectively. Make a quick run through the below-mentioned points

• Do you have a clear purpose/goal for your video meeting?
• Are collaboration and open discussion necessary to achieve the goals?
• Should sensitive or complex information be discussed?

If you have a specific answer for all these, then it’s the perfect time to have a meeting or go for email, online chat, or a phone call instead.

Trim your attendee list

For most of the video meetings, you don’t need to include everyone in your team. If every head in your team does not have specific goals to achieve or add up to the meeting, it is always better to trim your invite list. Or else the meeting ends up with a lot of people and only a few contributing.

Meeting agenda

Plan and prepare a schedule for the video meeting and send it to all attendees. It can help them to formulate points beforehand and can keep the virtual meeting on track. All the queries and additional topics to be added can be discussed at once.

Make meetings shorter

Always try to keep the virtual meetings short. Set a time limit of 10- 15 minutes so that the audience stays attentive. Longer talks or meetings do not tend to be productive because the attention span goes into a progressive decline after 15- 20 minutes.
If you need to go for longer video meetings, give breaks or warm-ups to keep the folks attentive.

Be ready with the right mindset

When your video meeting reminder pops up, end up your current task and get prepared for the virtual meeting. Take a few minutes, drink water, eat something if you are hungry, take a walk, relax for some time, go through the virtual meeting agenda and stay prepared.
A proper meeting mindset can help you to prepare and present your meeting fruitfully.

In-meeting tips

Begin with small talk

Before making the meeting professional, try to create a personal connection with people. It works!
Ask them about the weekend or how people are doing, and then take it to a professional tone. This method can help to have practical impacts.

Be an active facilitator

During virtual meetings, keep your energy levels high. Give people a reason to turn on their videos and talk, call out their names and make active participation by asking them comments or points to add up. Switch views frequently, from accessing screen sharing to gallery view to spotlight. Dynamic and collaborative video meetings can create space in your employees’ minds.

Be an engaged attendee

Be an involved and active listener. Show presenters, you’re listening by sending reactions or in-chat meeting comments.

Stick to the agenda

When there is a tendency for the meeting to move out of track, try to keep the virtual meeting on track by sticking to the agenda.

Post-meeting follow-up

Share minutes of virtual meetings and highlights to stakeholders. It can help everyone to stay informed without spending their entire day in meetings. Collaborate note-taking apps and record meetings for future reference. Cross-check whether the meeting agenda is adequately conveyed.

Provide chances to contribute

When you share a virtual meeting recording or notes with the team, ask for additional feedback or comments to add. It can give space for those who don't feel comfortable speaking up in the meeting and those who weren’t there.

To sum up

Team meetings play a vital role in sharing ideas with your team. Virtual meetings should have a crucial plan and should convey things clearly to the attendees.
So, plan the meetings properly at the right time for the right ones, and involve everyone present.
Let us go ahead with active and engaging meetings.
Have happy and productive meetings!