Virtual Meeting Tips

Suddenly, nearly all of us will rethink the way we conduct meetings, moving many encounters with co-workers, customers, and suppliers to online forums. Some of us are more practiced at virtual meetings than others, but pretty much everyone agrees they present unique challenges-especially in terms of keeping participants engaged.

Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Bob Frisch and Cary Greene, partners at the Boston consultancy Strategic Offsites Group, offer best practices for running meetings virtually. Among them:

• Use video, with a dial-in option: Participants will be less tempted to multi-task if they are visible—but, that said, technology is imperfect and some may need a back-up option.​

• Test the software ahead of time: Nothing saps momentum like a 20-minute glitch-laden delay.

• Minimize presentation lengths: Discussions are more engaging than talking heads. Presenters can save time by distributing background information ahead of the meeting. 

• Assign a facilitator: The person can call on people, “take the pulse” of the group on certain questions, and ensure all voices are heard.

• Solicit real-time feedback: Visual cues can be tough to read, so consider using a phone-based survey tool, like Poll.

• Don't dodge tough issues: It may seem natural to postpone tough issues until everyone is in person, but that may not be an option. So, don’t shy away from controversial topics.  (Tweet it!)

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• Debrief: When the meeting is over, analyze what worked and what didn’t.

What did you learn from your most recent virtual meeting in terms of pitfalls and improvements you might make for the next one? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

If you would like to learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our online learning programs.  

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