How to Host an Inclusive Virtual Meeting

Twelve tips that will make you a true audio conferencing professional.

When it comes to a team meeting, we’ve learned that while the content often remains the same, the way in which that content is presented and discussed often needs to be modified to ensure that the information resonates and all attendees are actively engaged.

Today, there are loads of options available to host meetings over a virtual meeting platform such as Lifesize, Collaborate Space, Zoom, Teams etc.

While every business will have different needs to consider, if you’re just starting to think about virtual meetings, we recommend starting with a platform that allows video, audio, and screen sharing as these tools allow for better engagement and collaboration during the meeting as opposed to the standard conference call.

CREATE A VIRTUAL AGENDA

You wouldn’t go to a face-to-face meeting without an agenda, so why would you do that for a virtual meeting? Whether in-person or virtual, meetings need a purpose, and a clear purpose for each attendee is the quickest way to enable team engagement.

Create a clear meeting agenda, and share it in advance with all those who will attend. Make it clear that the agenda is flexible, and if there are further points that others would like to discuss, they can add these and re-share the agenda with all attendees. This will provide an open and collaborative environment where participants feel that their input is valued.

COME PREPARED WITH INFORMATION AND FEEDBACK

Where you or your colleagues have added items to the virtual agenda that involve yourself or your team, ensure you have all the necessary information and feedback to share with your fellow attendees.

While you’ll sometimes get unanticipated questions, preparing as much as you can beforehand help you be more involved in the discussion and more confident.

CONNECT WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES

To make a virtual meeting productive, it’s vital to keep team members engaged, including people who are less likely to speak up. That means making every attendee feel as comfortable as possible to get involved in the conversation.

The best way to get the conversation off to a good start and get everyone feeling settled is to do a personal-professional check-in at the beginning of your meeting. This can include informal exchanges or an ice-breaker. After that, remind attendees to mute their microphones if they are not speaking.

ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY

People want to be heard and respected during an online meeting, just like they do everywhere else. Do what is necessary to encourage collaboration during and after your virtual meeting. Make sure everyone knows which ball is in whose court.

For a virtual meeting to be productive, stay focused on what’s important. Report-outs can often be time-consuming and may not be ideal when there are many items to discuss on an agenda. A good way to prevent a weighted discussion is to encourage a separate session where individuals can collaborate and refine a solution or process. This will enable those more closely involved in a project to be accountable for its development and progress.

DO NOT GO ON MUTE OR MULTITASK

Turn off all notifications and make sure your mobile phone is on silent. Avoid unnecessary distractions. When in doubt, just practice common courtesy. As host, you mustn’t go on mute unnecessarily and leave the room to get coffee, answer a call or dip into your emails. Why? You may miss vital information, cause disengagement or worse – be seen as unprepared or disinterested. We should all strive to set high standards, and these should not slip because of physical distance.