All too often poor communication can turn a meeting into a long, drawn out affair that leaves everyone wondering where their day has gone and what has actually been accomplished. Leading an effective meeting is even trickier when your team is working from home. Check out our tips below for making your next virtual meeting a success!
- Trim Your List of Attendees: When meetings on video call platforms like Zoom have too many attendees, it’s even more difficult for people to feel connected. A crowded meeting may also mean that you won’t be able to see all of your participants at the same time and may have to scroll through different screens to see everyone’s face. When scheduling a virtual meeting, when possible, carefully consider who would actually benefit from attending and tailor your invite list accordingly.
- Keep Monologues in Check: If you find that one person is dominating the conversation making it hard for anyone else to get a word in, politely redirect them in order to allow an effective flow of communication. In order to move things along, jump in and say, “John, I really like what you’re saying, and it sounds like you have some great ideas. Unfortunately, we’re in a bit of a time crunch, but if you’d like, we can meet later on and discuss some of your thoughts.” Using the person’s first name can be helpful in getting their attention.
- Make the Agenda Known: As the meeting begins, review the goals that you would like to achieve and establish a set time frame in which you would like to address them. If everyone is aware of how much time you expect to devote to each topic, it will be much easier to keep your schedule on track.
- Stick Around Afterwards: In a virtual meeting, the host should always be the last to leave. Just like in-person meetings, people may have comments or questions for you or each other after the official meeting has ended. Closing the meeting before everyone has left can cut result in missed opportunities for communication and information sharing. Be sure to schedule your day with a 15-minute buffer after your meeting so you don’t need to rush out.
If you are looking to polish your communication skills be sure to pick up a free copy of my e-book “Communicate with Clarity and Confidence!” by subscribing to our newsletter community on our website. For additional information call us at 212-308-7725 or send us an e-mail at jayne@corporatespeechsolutions.com to learn more. I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you might have!