When Covid-19 hit the world, how we look at the world changed, and so did our working styles.
Overnight meeting attendees switched from rushing between conference rooms to rushing to find the right Zoom link.
As a result, the medium changed, but the need to work together, discuss project progress and tackle challenges did not.
The virtual context adds layers of complexity for both meeting leaders and attendees.
A vast majority of surveyed people reported feeling fatigued and drained during and after their virtual meetings — more so than with in-person meetings.
Virtual meetings can be exhausting.
To make the virtual meetings effective, leaders need to tailor their responses as per the audience.
Solicit feedback from the attendees. Not only will it help you communicate better, but will also help you plan and lead future meetings.
To help guide this meeting feedback solicitation process, consider these potential questions:
- How helpful are our team meetings?
- What is working well and not so well? What should we do differently?
- To optimize your workflow, should our meetings be scheduled in the morning, midday, or afternoon?
- How long should our meetings be?
- How often should we meet?
- Would you benefit from days or time blocks with no meetings?
- If you were to lead the meeting, what would you do differently?
Absorb and reflect on the feedback.
It is essential after gathering feedback to let it sink in.
Experiment and change things up.
Make some changes based on the feedback. This will let your team know that you’re listening and taking action.
Best practices for making virtual meetings more effective
- Cancel unnecessary meetings.
- Make necessary meetings shorter.
- Assign different roles to attendees.
- Use breakout rooms.
- Hold asynchronous meetings.
- Build-in breaks during long meetings.
- Moderate and facilitate virtual meetings more actively.
- Turn off “self-view,” and make camera use optional for some meetings.
To ensure productive virtual meetings, be willing to adapt and grow.
Experiment with different meeting strategies or platforms. Adjust as needs change or evolve.
Rely on meeting best practices and develop a tailored response.
