{"id":7844,"date":"2021-01-05T14:00:52","date_gmt":"2021-01-05T12:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/?p=7844"},"modified":"2021-01-05T14:17:54","modified_gmt":"2021-01-05T12:17:54","slug":"productive-online-meetings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.efrontlearning.com\/blog\/2021\/01\/productive-online-meetings.html","title":{"rendered":"How to train your team to hold productive online meetings"},"content":{"rendered":"
The current COVID-19 pandemic changed the way many companies conduct their core business. Over a few dynamic months, some brick-and-mortar industries turned to remote working, and as it seems, remote work will become a new standard. According to Global Workplace Analytics<\/a>, around 75 million US employees could work remotely by the end of 2020. Preparing your employees for upcoming changes is a must if you want to keep with fierce competition in various industries.<\/p>\n

Since social distancing measures reduce the maximum amount of people sharing the same room, the question is \u2014 how to hold productive meetings?<\/strong> The answer lies in online meetings. For some people, online meetings can be challenging since lacking a physical presence. But, with proper training, you can help your team hold extremely productive online meetings.<\/p>\n

Here are a few tips that will help your company to adapt to online meetings.<\/p>\n

1. Educate your team on technology<\/h2>\n

Technology is the primary medium for holding online meetings. You have to gradually prepare and train your team<\/a> to combine technology and platforms for online meetings effectively. There are multiple online meeting platforms, such as Google Meet, Zoom, Skype, and it’s essential to pick one that satisfies all your company needs<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Did you know that about 55% of communication<\/a> is body language, and just 38% goes to voice? Your employees must ensure the necessary technology that allows them to join video conferences without interruptions. The basic setup includes a fast internet connection, working camera and microphone, computer, and online meeting platform. It\u2019s helpful to create a step-to-step guide that covers a complete setup process. We recommend\u00a0using a collaborative environment such as Google Docs, as it allows everyone to leave feedback and comments for improvement.<\/p>\n

2. Create a meeting agenda and set a meeting moderator<\/h2>\n

Having a meeting without a pre-set agenda can easily drift away from the primary purpose, which results in higher costs due to unclear instructions and repetitive tasks. Delegate a meeting moderator role to one of your team members who possess strong management and communication skills. The meeting moderator has to make sure every attendee has been notified of the meeting start time and a current schedule.<\/p>\n

Send the agenda to all participants at least 24 hours before the meeting, so everyone can prepare on time. Since we’re constantly bombed with information, sometimes it’s easy to get distracted and forget to prepare for an upcoming meeting. Train your team to effectively use reminder tools<\/strong> such as Google Calendar to ensure everyone got the right information on time.<\/p>\n

While creating a meeting agenda, be sure to make an easy-to-understand list of the main topics and subtopics that will be discussed. Another important task of the meeting moderator is navigating attendees through the meeting agenda and keeping the conversation focused and organized<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

We recommend supervising a newly-delegated meeting moderator and sharing the processes once\u00a0they can hold a meeting effectively without supervision. Just attend a few meetings and take notes which you can discuss with a meeting moderator afterward.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

3. Create and share meeting notes<\/h2>\n

Working in a remote environment<\/a> can be tough as there is a chance you’re collaborating with employees who live in different time zones or don’t share the same native language. These barriers can lead to misunderstanding\u00a0and resource mismanagement. After every meeting, be sure a team member is responsible for creating meeting notes that cover all topics and conclusions from the recent meeting. That way, all meeting participants will know their roles, tasks, and progress, which highly minimizes misunderstanding risks.<\/p>\n

It would also be handy to set up a collaboration platform such as Asana or Trello to create tasks and assign them to specific employees. If your company uses a particular management tool for keeping track of tasks and notes, you can create a document explaining all the important features of using the tool. Alternatively, there are multiple online courses where you can train your employees to effectively use management tools, track tasks, and create meeting notes.<\/p>\n

4. Focus on employee’s feedback<\/h2>\n

Feedback is vital as it gives you input on a current situation. Most online meeting platforms feature a feedback option where participants can leave comments and rate a meeting session. Use this feedback to understand your employees’ needs and challenges and improve the overall experience.<\/p>\n

Train your employees to use feedback in both ways<\/a>.\u00a0A feedback loop won’t only make online meetings more effective and focused, but will also keep your employees engaged and create a healthy meeting culture.<\/p>\n

5. Opt for a distraction-free meeting room<\/h2>\n

On-site conference rooms usually feature a clean and minimalistic design that minimizes distractions and keeps attendants focused on the meeting agenda. The same principles should be applied when it comes to online meetings.<\/p>\n

Each of your employees should focus on creating a clean and distraction-free meeting room. You can share with your employees some tips and advice on how to design this meeting-friendly environment. For instance, you can describe how to blur their background, how to mute notifications, etc.<\/p>\n

6. Set a meeting etiquette<\/h2>\n

Similar to setting a meeting agenda, having proper meeting etiquette is crucial for a productive and comfortable online meeting. Since online meetings are similar to regular face-to-face meetings, with only a difference in medium, you should create a list of\u00a0do’s and dont’s\u00a0for effective communication, including:<\/p>\n