5 Tips for Successful Virtual Meetings

Rose Report: Issue 65

By Ted Rose, CEO, Rose Financial Solutions

There is no doubt that business interactions have swiftly evolved since the onset of the pandemic. Today’s virtual and hybrid workforces have made in-person meetings fewer and farther between, replaced with Teams, Zoom, and WebEx meetings. As employees have become more accustomed to meeting with colleagues online, a RedRex  survey  found that 55% of respondents now have more meetings than when working in the office, and 83% spend up to one-third of their work week in video conferences.

While virtual meetings can be an effective way to connect with team members and clients, they can become tedious and unproductive if not managed well. In fact, according to an article in  GeekWire,  in virtual meetings with seven or more people, 50% of participants arrive late, 40% have below-average or poor engagement, and 22% don’t say a single word. Additionally, a 2022  study  by Nature found that people meeting virtually produced fewer creative ideas than those working face-to-face. 

If you are feeling virtual meeting burnout, you are not alone. The good news: with these five tips, you can make your sessions more engaging and enjoyable for all attendees: 

1. Set clear objectives:  Establishing the goals and objectives of the meeting before arranging it will help to guarantee that your sessions stay on track and topic. Develop an agenda for the discussion and distribute it to everyone in advance. This will ensure that everyone is ready and able to participate in the conversation.
2. Limit meeting time:  Setting a time limit for virtual meetings is crucial since they can be exhausting. Try to keep the conversation to one hour or less, and plan subsequent meetings to cover any issues you couldn’t discuss. If your session lasts longer than an hour, plan breaks every 30 to 45 minutes so attendees can get up, move about, get a drink, or use the restroom.
3. Encourage participation:  Encourage participation from all attendees to make your online meetings more enjoyable. Participants are more engaged when polls, conversations, and breakout sessions are included.
4. Use visuals:  Visual tools such as slides, videos, and screen sharing can make online sessions more engaging, interesting, and informative.
5. Be flexible:  Flexibility is key when it comes to meeting schedules and formats. Record the meeting if some participants cannot attend due to time zone differences or a schedule conflict and share the recording with them later.

 By following these tips, you can balance virtual meetings and ensure they are productive, engaging, and informative.

This content is for information purposes only and should not be considered legal, accounting, or tax advice or a substitute for obtaining such advice specific to your business.