Remember when we all had to sit in the same room to have a meeting? Times have changed dramatically since then, and you can have online, virtual, and webinar meetings with anyone anytime anywhere due to today’s technology.
Have you ever been invited to join a conference call and the first 5-10 minutes feels like a waste of your time? Or, have you ever tried to join a webinar only to have your audio be broken or your web link not work because you must download an app first?
Conferencing and collaboration tools are great in today’s global world to bring people together. However, it is important to find the right technology that will work for your organization. Is the purpose of your call just to talk through the highlights of the week? Perhaps an audio conference bridge is all you need. If the purpose of your call to visually see all participants on the call and to have a moderator share their screen to keep everyone on task, then maybe a video conference is right for you.
I know I am guilty of trying to multi-task sometimes when I am on a conference call in my office. My mind wanders over to the email that I forgot to send, or the report that I must get done, or that blog I must finish for Lisa, so she can get our newsletter out on time. For me, webinars that include screen sharing and video is more effective at holding my attention.
Here are some tips for hosting an effective meeting whether in person or via the web:
- Set a clear meeting agenda – it is the best way to keep the meeting on track.
- If you are the leader in the meeting, be early. If you are to be on a conference call, join a few minutes early so you are not holding up the others.
- Establish ground rules. Remind people to mute their lines if they are not speaking so you are not interrupted by background noises.
- Allow enough time for Q&A. Calls with smaller groups of people tend to be more interactive throughout the call/meeting. With larger groups, it is more common that you share the information and ask for the Q&A session at the end.
- Take good notes during the call and make sure to send a recap email at the end, especially if there are tasks, action items or follow-up that needs to be done.
Our June 2019 Lunch GIG is going to be presented by our vendor partner PGI, a market leader in conferencing and collaboration tools. We would love to have you join us to find out ways on how to be connected in a global economy! Space is limited, so register early, and as an added incentive they will be doing a drawing for a fun prize!
