Remote meetings are a way of life at work now. While they are certainly convenient, they can be hard to manage since they are so different from in-person conversations. How can you keep your team engaged during an off-site meeting – and make the most of your time? Here are a few tips to get started.
Create a meeting agenda.
Just because a meeting is remote doesn’t mean it should always be more casual. Instead, create an agenda and send it out ahead of time before the meeting, so everyone can properly prepare. This will ensure all the attendees have the right questions and answers ready and the meeting is productive.
Hold meetings mid-morning or early afternoon.
No one likes a meeting first thing in the morning or at the end of the day – and that holds true for remote meetings. So try to schedule your meetings at a time that’s convenient for everyone, yet not too early or late.
This will give all the attendees time to settle into their workday before participating in a meeting. It also avoids hosting one right before quitting time, when everyone is running out of steam. Instead, mid-day meetings will best hold the attention of the attendees.
Check-in during the first few minutes.
Managing a team remotely can be a challenge. It’s why using the first few minutes to chat and check in with each other can be helpful. It will get everyone engaged and also create a sense of camaraderie.
Keep it short.
If you can, keep your meeting to 30 minutes or less. If you have more to discuss than what you can cover in one hour, break the meeting up into multiple shorter meetings. If you get caught up spending more time than you expected on one point, then schedule another meeting at a later date.
Invite only those who need to be there.
Don’t “invite all” when you’re scheduling a meeting. Instead, only invite those who absolutely need to be there. You can even record the meeting to send it out to others who don’t attend, but the information discussed at the meeting would be helpful to. This will help to keep your remote meeting flowing quickly.
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