Whether you like it or not, you’ll be doing more remote work for a while. A lot of companies are taking advantage of the work-from-home setup for convenience. The virus is still here, and some institutions still prefer to do office activities virtually—including meetings.
Speaking of meetings, one platform that gained popularity last year was Zoom. The conferencing program saw a surge in subscriptions in 2020 when COVID-19 struck us all. And Zoom’s popularity isn’t going away. App analytics company App Annie reveals that Zoom is in the top 10 most downloaded apps in their Q2 2021 report.
On the other hand, there’s no denying that Zoom meetings can sometimes become awful. From annoying delays to prolonged sessions, all these can affect the meeting. This can cause problems with the meeting’s efficiency.
Since Zoom meetings are likely to stay, how can you improve the quality of your next virtual huddle? How can you make the participants feel delighted about a virtual conference? Well, here are some tips that you can follow for your next scheduled meeting.
Tweak the Meeting’s Structure
One way to actually get your Zoom meetings a little more interesting is by changing it up a bit. You can tweak the order of your discussion points. Say let everyone give their inputs first before you actually present yours. In this way, it’ll be a smooth flowing conversation. Get all their insights first. Spend the other half of the meeting by addressing the concerns and inputs they mentioned. Another thing you can do is by setting the participants’ moods. Mention the team’s achievements at the beginning of the meeting. Allot time to discuss the areas for improvement in the middle. Close the session with tackling actions on how to surpass your previous performance. Wrap it up by leaving your team feeling hopeful and goal-driven.
Limit the Number of Participants
When you have enough participants in a meeting, you’ll be able to shorten the discussion. Divide your team into groups. Members of the group should have similarities—say, the top performers, the mediocre ones, and the underperformers. In this way, you’ll be able to have a structured discussion for each group. You’ll know what to discuss for each of them. This will definitely save you and your team members time. Thus, while others are waiting for their scheduled meetings, they can still work, and the first ones to finish the meeting can still work afterward. It’s going to be a less sleepy time for the meeting participants and more time for productivity.
Make It a Little More Entertaining
When you’re holding a meeting, one thing you don’t want the participants to feel is boredom. This can prevent your team from absorbing whatever is being discussed in the meeting. Make it a little more entertaining despite it being virtual. Ask your team how it has been for each of them. Make them show their pets first on-camera to brighten up the mood. Work with a company specializing in corporate video production and make an engaging presentation about your team’s goal for the succeeding months. Your entertaining presentation will surely be an effective medium to deliver your message across your team. Maybe you can also allocate time to discuss incentive programs and performance-based bonuses. These topics will surely make the team’s mood livelier.
Let the Team Members Participate More
It gets boring if the meeting’s host does all the talking. Let your team engage with the conversation. Give them ample time to present their inputs. Have them expound their insights on what they think will be the best strategy to reach the goal. Making your team fully engaged with the discussion should be implemented. This way, you’ll know when specific issues need to be raised. It’ll also make your team involved in the meeting. There’s nothing more rewarding than being able to express things that you’ve wanted to say. Giving each of your team members time to talk can definitely bring out untold ideas that are very useful.
Set a Timer
This may be the simplest way to kill boredom in a virtual meeting. Setting a timer is very similar to setting an expectation. An hour meeting can be a long one. But if you know it’s ending in exactly an hour, you’ll be able to have your expectations set. A well-planned schedule is always great. If you and your team are busy at work, a timed meeting will be perfect. Everyone will be able to know when to turn off their cameras and resume working.
The team must understand every piece of information discussed in a meeting. Whether it’s virtual or not, a meeting should always be engaging. It’s the only time when you all can learn while in the middle of work. Meetings online can be as stressful as the ones you do in the office. On the other hand, they can be as effective, too. You just have to do it the right way.
