10 Ways to Improve Virtual Meetings

Overview

I’ve recently had a few virtual meetings with teams in New Zealand and India, and I’ve found there are some fundamental areas that are usually overlooked that can really help drive the meetings, keeping them on track, in scope and able to get the most out of your time with the project teams.

Below are some practical pointers and solutions to make the most essential element of collaboration work more smoothly.

Why have dispersed teams?

Sometimes you have no choice!  In larger multinationals and corporations, teams are usually located in different buildings, different cities and even different hemispheres.

In different locations, teams can usually collaborate to produce products and services quicker, cheaper and with more efficiency than if they were all in one location.  Distribution provides companies with more agility in addressing issues or problems, while a reduction in office space, computer equipment, lighting, electricity etc. can save further costs.  Also, being able to consult and work with key stakeholders, wherever they may be, ensures employee satisfaction and helps produce a better quality of work.

The problems with diverse locations

The benefits are clear, however there are key issues that face project and program managers trying to implement a virtual environment.  The main issue is that of technology, and harnessing it to work at the right time.  Also, user-fear of the technology needed to utilise a virtual office is another big factor.

I’ve also found that many teams work with 3rd parties from differing cultural backgrounds and this itself cause cross-cultural communication issues.  Most communication is via the phone; then email, with intranet (or online collaboration tools) coming in 3rd place.  Communication studies have shown that humans take in 65% of their information through the eyes by interpreting body language.  This means you’re losing two thirds of the information you’re used to picking up in face-to-face meetings.

It is also a very real issue that workers in remote locations have little sense of the “team” or any real connection to a project.  This doesn’t help if there is no clear strategy in place, and a team organisational structure with clear channels of communication is vague or unknown.

Finally, and possibly most importantly, some professionals have no clear understanding of how to effectively “manage” a meeting.  You can generally stumble through an agenda if everyone is in the same room and working from the same visual cues, but moving from that to a virtual setting can be a very difficult transition and one that is hard to negotiate.

10 techniques for improving your virtual meetings

1. Set up the room in advance

Advanced preparation is the key to any successful meeting.  Meeting facilitators need to ensure the room and the appropriate technology is set up and ready to work in advance.  If standard conference calling is used, you need to ensure that numbers and passwords are set up beforehand and tested, ensuring they work.  I’ve been in meetings that have been delayed for 20-30 minutes due to initial troubleshooting of issues that should have been ironed out beforehand.  You’re then struggling to catch up for the rest of the meeting.

2. Prepare your agenda

Again preparation is key, and if you and your meeting delegates know what you’re going to be talking about in that session, you’re all going to be better prepared and ready.  Ensure meeting agenda documents are sent out at least 24 hours prior to the meeting time, giving everyone a good chance to read and reply in case they have any agenda items or would like to suggest further areas of discussion.

3. Have a technology guru ready

Another preparation one, but very important.  I’d rather have a techy at the ready but not need them, than not have one and the video link falls over.  Whenever technology is going to be used (video conferencing, web-based collaboration / connection, teleconferencing etc.) experience shows that you’re going to get at least 1 issue.  Avoiding time-consuming break downs and delays is imperative to ensuring the success of the meeting.

4. Create a team display

It is common at the start of the meeting to make some introductions so everyone can know who is there.  While introductions are being done, the meeting facilitator should be showing a visual representation of the teams.  If there are 3 teams based in Australia, New Zealand and India, then draw 3 boxes and label them with the locations.  Then add in to the boxes the names of the representatives from each location.

The team display becomes a visual tool for keeping track of attendees, it provides all the users with a visual reference and also helps any latecomers to identify quickly and easily who else is there.

5. Use names

A very simple one to forget, but very important.  Following from point 4, calling someone by their name creates a rapport, is common courtesy and in a virtual meeting is a ncessity to ensure group members know when they are being addressed.  Using someone’s name helps them feel included, and if you have all the names available along with their locations, it is easier to identify and speak with someone.

6. Use location facilitators

Using our scenario of 3 teams based in Australia, New Zealand and India, it is useful for the main meeting facilitator to appoint a location facilitator to act as the eyes and ears of that group.  The location facilitator can help manage the rest of the team members from the group and also ensure ground rules are adhered to.

7. Create ground rules and stick to them

Ground rules are needed for managing a meeting effectively, but they need to be tweaked based on the meeting requirements and attendees.  Common rules that I think apply to all meetings are:

- no side conversations or discussions, respect the person who is talking and listen to them

- no multi-tasking, you’re in the meeting for a reason, so don’t try to catch up on emails or that sales report

- identify yourself when you speak so everyone knows who is talking

- consider using the mute option when you’re the non-speaking group, this can reduce background noise and ensures a clearer sound

8. Poll the group

This ensures all the attendees feel included and have their say.  At critical points in the meeting, such as getting approval or feedback, go round the virtual room asking everyone by name what their thoughts and feedback is.  Participants in a virtual space have no visual cues that they know it’s their turn to speak, so you have to provide that call to action.  Asking a broad question such as “What do you all think?” is not good enough to get correct input.  Ask the same question but put someone’s name in, “What do you think Matt?” provides impetus to get Matt’s view and opinion.  Matt could then ask the same question to Dave and so on.

This technique may sound time consuming and a bit weird to instigate, but participants will feel included, it also helps to ensure no one is nodding off.

9. Visual focus

Similar to providing a visual focus of groups and names, providing a visual focus on your agenda items or work is also key.  I’ve recently started using mind mapping software and web-based meeting software to great effect.  The web-based software (such as Webex or GoToMeeting) provides all participants with a view of a “common document”, while the mind-mapping software is great for brain-storming, linking ideas and thought processes, you can apply it to pretty much anything.  The best software I’ve found is called MindManager by Mindjet and is very useful for capturing conversations that flow in virtual meetings.

10. Supplement other technology

As metioned in point 9, I like to also use web-based software if possible, but you can supplement any meeting with any other form of virtual communication, simple powerpoint presentations can also do the trick.

Summary

Moving forward into 2009, communication technology is advancing rapidly, being able to provide us with great tools and services, but at the same time having many challenges and potential issues.  To fully utilise the workforce, global companies need to have a collaborative strategy and the necessary tools in place to support the strategy to ensure success within projects and inter-related programs.

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