At a time when fixed home office days or 100% location-independent working are part of everyday life in many companies, more and more online meetings are taking place instead of face-to-face appointments. The Working World 4.0 has reached us all and is prompting employers and employees alike to embrace technological innovations and grow with the challenges. We have put together the most important tips for a successful online meeting.
„You could have said all that in an email.“ – Who doesn't know the feeling? The last team meeting cost you valuable working time without being of any real benefit? This is one of the main reasons why you should plan your meeting in advance. Not only does it help you determine whether holding an online meeting is even necessary. It also makes it easier for you to structure the subsequent meeting.
Give your meeting participants the structure in advance so that they know what they need to be prepared for. This also includes information on whether certain software should already be downloaded and whether participants should familiarize themselves with the relevant tools. This way, the participants can think about any questions in advance, the tasks are already distributed and the entire meeting can run much more smoothly.
Preparing and planning an online meeting also means making sure that the technology to be used works. Check your audio and video channels and the video conferencing software again before you start the meeting. Planning an online meeting also involves taking into account the different time zones of the meeting participants if necessary.
To ensure that the online meeting runs smoothly and according to the schedule you have set in advance, you should start on time. Allow a time buffer of five minutes for delays, but otherwise do not wait any longer for any latecomers - that would not be fair to the other participants.
Follow your pre-defined structure: Questions should be considered, but do not deviate too far from your pre-defined structure. If a discussion is taking too long, move it to a later time and find a way back to your original schedule.
5. hold the online meeting in pairs
Especially for long meetings, it is best if you and at least one other person hold the meeting together so that you can take turns with the talking and the technical tasks. In online meetings, it is even more important than in face-to-face meetings to keep the attention of the participants. Distractions due to technical aspects, such as the use of PowerPoint slides, slow down the entire meeting. If possible, share these tasks with a second person and take turns.
6. Involve the participants and plan breaks
Request all participants to mute their microphones when they are not speaking to block out distracting background noise. Actively involve the meeting participants in the discussions, provide sufficient space for questions and break up your online meeting with breakout sessions among the participants, exercises and actual breaks.
Depending on the reason why you held the online meeting, it can be advantageous to send out a summary email or a handout afterwards. Especially if you want to inform your colleagues about important changes, it is worth making the most important points available to everyone. This also benefits all those who did not have time to attend the online meeting.
The same applies to online meetings: no master has ever fallen from the sky! If things don't work out so well, take notes and try again the next time. We will be happy to help you equip your office with the necessary video conferencing technology so that nothing stands in the way of a successful online meeting, at least in terms of technology. As many companies usually also have meeting participants in the office alongside remote employees, we will be happy to advise you on the best technical equipment for hybrid online meetings.
With the help of the right room equipment, high-quality displays, audio and video systems, you can create an atmosphere in future online meetings that feels as if all participants are in the same room. Modern technology makes connecting to presence meetings remotely easier and less complicated than ever before. As a company with years of experience in the fields of video conferencing and media technology, we are the ideal partner to help you have a successful online meeting. Do you have any questions about our range of services?
We look forward to your contact!