In today’s work environment, where many employees are either working hybrid or fully remote, virtual meetings have become commonplace. While studies find that virtual meetings can be incredibly helpful stating, “An overwhelming majority of meeting attendees (92%) value meetings as providing an opportunity to contribute, suggesting that successful meetings may be a contributing factor to employee job satisfaction.” There is also the reality that “Nearly all meeting attendees (91%) admit to daydreaming during meetings, while over one-third (39%) have dozed”. Here are three ways to ensure you are making the most of virtual meetings to make them as engaging and interactive as possible.
Send Out a Meeting Agenda
Sending out a meeting agenda ahead of time will give everyone a chance to prepare for the meeting and perhaps come with questions and thoughts they would like to share. In an article in Harvard Business Review they say, “Before each meeting, take some time to think about what you want to accomplish during the meeting. Think through some of these questions:
- What is the purpose of the meeting?
- What would a successful outcome look like?
- Who needs to be in the room to reach that outcome?
- What do the participants need from you?
- What do you need from the participants?
- What is going to be your contribution during the call?
Answering these questions will allow you to structure your thoughts and prepare a well-defined agenda. For instance, if you’re setting up a call to review the goals for the next fiscal year with your team, make an agenda that reflects what you wish to discuss. You may wish to discuss how the team performed last year, your achievements as well as areas of improvement, share the new goals and leave room for any questions or feedback.”
Make it Interactive
Think about ways you can make the meeting more interactive and engaging. In an article on Forbes they write, “Kick things off with an icebreaker, using Teams apps such as the polls or Forms feature to introduce a quick poll at the start of the session and encourage participation. You can also use this periodically throughout the meeting to keep everyone alert and involved (remember, people tend to place more of what they do).”
Make it Personal
Greeting everyone will make your virtual meetings feel more personal and friendly. In an article on Forbes they say, “You can take the lead and welcome everyone personally, acknowledging them for something that makes them stand out. Or, make introductions visual. Have each person introduce themselves with a “Me Board” (a PowerPoint or Keynote slide) with info about who they are and what’s important to them.”