3 Ways to Make Your Virtual Meetings Shine
Photo by Bhushan Sadani on Unsplash
Shifting gears to virtual meetings after focusing on solo work during the work day can be tough..
When leading the meeting, you might wonder: How can I get attendees’ attention away from other tasks? What are some ways to ensure my team is present and poised to contribute?
Here are some ideas to ensure your meeting attendees are ready to contribute:
Break the ice by checking in. Create a congenial atmosphere by taking a few moments at the beginning to ask everyone a question. A simple, “In one sentence (or one word for large groups), how are you feeling right now?” can ease anxiety and make your audience feel comfortable speaking up later on.
Encourage participation through preparation. Know what information you hope to get from attendees ahead of time. If possible, send them requests in writing before the meeting. People like to feel included in decision making but don’t always love being put on the spot.
Give people an option to skip the video if the meeting is last minute. Asking participants to be on video is a great way to replicate an in person meeting, but not everyone is camera ready all the time. If the request to join was last minute, give your team the option to call in without video. This creates an environment where people are able to think about the meeting topics and not whether they remembered to change out of their bathrobe.
How you prepare for and begin a meeting determines how successful the meeting will be. It’s essential to start off on the right foot. If you’d like help thinking about how you present at virtual meetings, book a discovery call with me here.