Technology has made communication among individuals as well as within organisations really easy, this can be seen in the way we conduct meetings. Employees can be in the comfort of their homes and yet have meetings with their bosses and colleagues. Individuals or employees don’t necessarily need to meet face to face to communicate with each other.

Before the emergence of technology, it was impossible for people in different countries or geographical environments to work together. With the evolving technology, virtual meetings are now part of our life, whether you like it or not. We can now work as a team irrespective of distance

In today’s post, we will be discussing; What is a virtual meeting, the types of virtual meetings, 5 tips for a successful virtual meeting and the dos and don’ts of a virtual meeting.

WHAT IS A VIRTUAL MEETING?

A virtual meeting is a situation where people, businesses, organisations from all around the world can meet to discuss, share ideas and solve problems irrespective of distance. This can be achieved by the use of video-teleconference software such as Skype, Zoom, Google hangout, Adobe connects etc. Virtual meetings involve video, audio, and text messaging technology for communication.

TYPES OF VIRTUAL MEETINGS

There are different types of virtual meetings, choosing the one to use will depend on the purpose and need of a particular team or business. Here are the 3 main types of virtual meetings:

1. Teleconferencing

This is an audio meeting where different participants dial in and join to be part of a meeting. Joining this meeting will require a password. This type of meeting involves less technology compare to others.

The problem with this type of meeting is you cannot see the physical reaction and body language nor have eye contact with those involved in the meeting. It also does not allow visual presentation which can limit the level of understanding of those involved. 

2. Video Conferencing

This is a video and audio based meeting, where you get to hear as well as see those present in the meeting. This type of meeting feels like being together even though not in the same environment.

This type of meeting helps participants to be personally involved. They get to see physical reactions and body language as well as have eye contact with those involved.

3. Web Conferencing

This is an online platform where live meetings, presentations, and conferences take place through the internet. This type of meeting gives room for collaboration, sharing of documents and screens. It allows the participants to share files including slides and video and increase engagement.

Web conferencing helps participants work on the project without being physically together. It is mostly been confused with “Webinar”. The major difference between the two is, Web conferencing is a two-way communication where all parties involved can contribute. While “webinar” is mostly used for educative purposes where one person does majorly all the talk. It is one-way communication. 

TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL MEETING

1. Test technology ahead of time

With more and more virtual meetings happening in our business and cooperate world it is critical that you take at least 15 to 20 minutes prior to the meeting to make sure everything is working. It can be frustrating waiting for so long and wasting time because of a default technology.

2. Meeting timing

Timing is very important when holding lots of virtual meetings. Carefully decide how long will the meeting run. If it’s too long, participants get bored and tired which can reduce their engagement and productivity.

A virtual meeting can sometimes be draining so it’s best to stick to an hour and a maximum of two. If you have things up by having multiple virtual meetings then make it compulsory for everyone to turn on his video because we absorb more by seeing people in front of us.

3. Objectives and agenda

Having a virtual meeting doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have an agenda. Agenda is very important and contributes to the success of any meeting whether life or online. Your agenda should include key issues, participants roles and links to relevant documents. The agenda should be sent to every participant of the meeting ahead of time. This will help to get relevant contributions.

4. Assign roles

 In a live meeting, you can probably do a couple of things and get a lot of information going on in the room, while in a virtual meeting there are a lot of other things that would require some attention. For example tech-related issues. Assigning roles is just the easiest way to keep on track.

Assign roles to different participants because you can’t handle everything all by yourself. Assign a timekeeping role to one of the participants in order to keep track of time. Also, assign someone with the role of note-taking. Having a successful meeting would involve everyone having a clear role. 

5. Create a comfortable environment

The more comfortable people are the easier it is for them to share their ideas. Before the commencement of the meetings, the participants should be asked how they are doing and how their day went. It helps to make them feel comfortable and cared for. Everyone who has something to share should be given the opportunity to talk.

DOS AND DON’TS OF VIRTUAL MEETING 

Here are some etiquettes to help guide your virtual meetings

In conclusion, hosting a virtual meeting for the first time come with challenges but with constant practise, patience and preparation it would become easier and better.

Now I’d love to hear from you, which of the types of virtual meeting would you love to explore first?

Let me know by leaving a comment below right now