Zoom was a fast-growing videoconferencing application with 10.7 million users in December 2019, up from 8.7 million at the end of 2018. Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and by March 2020 there were 200 million-plus users, and 300 million-plus by April. Other widely used applications for online meetings include Google Hangouts, WebEx, Microsoft Teams and Join.Me.
As utilization has ramped up in 2020, best practices are daily becoming more apparent for hosting inclusive, professional and productive virtual meetings. A handful of tips will coax the most from your videoconferencing software.
- Start the discussion by engaging everyone
To get everyone involved online (where it’s easier to hide), start the meeting with a topic that is sure to captivate. Pop culture, sports and even nonpolitical news items can get people conversationally hooked. Asking employees how they’re doing or whether there’s anything they’d like to share promotes engagement.
The 8% rule suggests that any remote meeting should dedicate at least that portion of its time to non-meeting discussions, including icebreakers and small talk.
- Introduce new participants
Virtual meetings generally follow the same etiquette as in-person meetings or social events. Introduce anyone who is new to the group to the others, and vice versa. A welcoming atmosphere stimulates involvement.
- Set clear expectations
Do you think everyone will engage, or will there be passive listeners? Do you want all participants to have their video camera and microphone on? What will be the meeting agenda, and what is the etiquette? If your group is new to virtual meetings, circulate the agenda and set the expectations in writing before the first event.
- Determine a structure for involvement
Software creators have done a great job incorporating intelligent elements to prevent people from talking over one another. Encourage everyone to learn and use these features, such as Zoom’s “raise hand” option, indicating when someone has something to say. Built-in chat features also enable people to ask questions during the meeting. Finally, there are times when it’s appropriate to have contributors jump in for a free-flowing dialogue.
- Use sharing and collaboration
Zoom and other virtual meeting tools include screen sharing, virtual whiteboards and additional tools that foster collaborative work. You may want to offer training sessions to familiarize your staff.
- Hosts, facilitators and contributors all must focus
The host, whose screen is shared, will turn off emails and notifications for privacy concerns, and the rest of the group should follow. Unless an urgent outside need arises, stay focused on the task at hand.
- Confirm audio and video settings
Ensure that everyone turns on their microphones and cameras before reaching the heart of the discussion. Verify everyone can hear and see you, and make sure you can listen to everyone’s voice before the meeting truly begins. In Zoom, the unmute button is in the Manage Participants tab.
If you are new to virtual conference applications, find someone on the team with more experience to assist you. Implement suggestions and ask for feedback on improving the experience because virtual meetings are here to stay.
Learn more about William Paterson University’s online MBA program.
Sources:
BusinessofApps: Zoom Revenue and Usage Statistics (2020)
Small Biz Trends: How to Make Zoom Meetings Actually Enjoyable
