Can you hear me? Can you see me? Can you see my screen? These questions have become a part of our daily life in recent months. This anomalous situation that we are currently living in is highlighting the real need to learn to manage teams remotely and to get along with all those tools that can help us to maintain contact and the productivity of the team.
And, in this new context, one-to-one or group video calls are the big stars. Platforms such as Zoom, Teams, Skype, Hangouts, or even WhatsApp allow you to connect with one or more users by sharing audio and video, documents, or your computer screen. However, on many occasions, these virtual meetings are somewhat chaotic and not very productive.
Here, are some tips to avoid it and be able to take advantage of professional meetings by videoconference.
Choosing the right virtual meeting software
During the meeting, the various stakeholders will probably need to distribute presentation documents in split-screen mode. Thus, it is necessary to choose the most suitable solution for the situation, such as skype, which is undoubtedly one of the best software solutions. It allows a large number of interlocutors to be integrated into the exchange and which has a screen sharing feature that is easy to activate, with full viewing, satisfactory screen.
On the other hand, Zoom is also a solution intended for professionals which is currently enjoying great success. Depending on the offer selected, it is possible to invite several hundred participants to a meeting with many features, which of course, includes screen sharing.
As a bonus, several people can share their screens at the same time and co-annotate. Zoom guarantees good video and audio quality, even when the Internet connection is not very stable, and there are a lot of participants. The service also includes messaging to communicate in parallel with audio when needed. These collaborative work solutions are impressive, but it is recommended not to exchange sensitive data and to secure the conferences with access codes.
Share screen and documents
The video call has many incentives, and one of the best is to be able to share the workspace comfortably for viewing documents. Don’t miss out on software opportunities. Any exhibition supported by a visual element acquires more force and manages to better retain the attention of the participants in the video call.
In addition to providing dynamism to group meetings, it is a helpful method to follow the thread of discussions and is supported by a chat where any relevant information, links or screenshots can be shared on site. Of course, make sure you have a desktop as neat as your physical desktop should be, and only have work-related tabs open on your computer, so that some unwanted information doesn’t sneak up in the video call.
Choose strategically the time of the meeting
Studies show that the best times for virtual meetings are between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Why? They are ideal times because it is not very close to lunchtime. Everything depends on the working hours of the people, the most important thing is to respect their spaces and the time allocated for said activity. Virtual meetings should not exceed two hours.
Keep in mind that the more people are invited and participate, the more limited the time should be. One of the biggest challenges today is to keep the attention of the guests, now add to that the fact that they are in their homes with hundreds of distractors. Be smart!
Establish a policy of mandatory video
To be successful in a virtual meeting it is essential to make it clear that we are using applications for video calls, so all those involved in this event, out of respect and formality, must turn on their cameras. A controlled space and environment must be chosen beforehand. The angle of the camera must be placed at eye level, the lighting must be adequate, and we must have the microphone and headphones connected to the computer or cell phone.
Many people fear the camera because they think that they cannot project an adequate image or that their spaces and backgrounds are not as required. This must be taken into account in a virtual meeting, so being at home is not an excuse not to dress formal, semi-formal, or at least acceptable in these events. Everything is attitude!
Assign roles and responsibilities to participants
If you want your virtual meeting participants to stay involved from start to finish, assign each person a role, and associated responsibilities. For example, one person may be responsible for taking notes, another may be responsible for looking for ideas for the next session, and yet another may have to write up a report. Give each person a task so that they get involved and participate more throughout the conversation.
Conclusion
An excellent and productive business meeting can have a positive impact on any company or business. Thus, in this uncertainty, virtual collaboration should allow you to interact with your colleagues or partners exactly the way as a face-to-face meeting does. For this, it is only necessary to have the appropriate system to take place.
When meetings are more interactive, and people are attentive, issues related to multitasking and lack of participation can be eliminated or significantly reduced, leading to higher productivity and more successful meeting results.
