Meetings, meetings, meetings
The Covid-19 pandemic has meant that a lot of us are working from home. One result of this is that the way we meet with colleagues and clients has changed. Fewer meetings – that’s probably a good thing, in most people’s eyes.
But online meetings can be difficult. So let’s take a look at how to manage meetings in today’s health conscious environment.
Effective online meetings
Online meetings can be tiring and boring without good planning and strong management. In some ways though, online meetings are really just like face to face meetings except that they require firmer management if participants are to remain engaged in the discussion. This can involve:
Setting clear objectives for the meeting (e.g. “We will decide whether to…”)
Limiting the number of delegates to less than 10. This is so the Chair can ensure that everyone has a turn to speak and monitor whether everyone is engaged.
Limiting the length of meeting. It is difficult to concentrate on a screen-based discussion for more than 2 hours. Construct an agenda with a small number of points for discussion, each of which has a set time allocated.
In addition, it’s a good idea to avoid agenda items where people deliver reports. It’s bad enough in a face to face meeting when one person monopolises the room for unnecessary minutes, adding nothing that couldn’t be achieved by glancing through a report. IN an online meeting this can be very frustrating. So rather than asking people to make reports during an online meeting, get them to circulate a document beforehand and give meeting participants the opportunity to ask the author questions. If you do this, the focus of the meeting can instead be on problems that need to be solved.
Another useful tip is to assign roles in the meeting to as many people as possible. This keeps them engaged and helps the Chair to manage the meeting.
Appoint an agenda time-keeper who makes the meeting run on time even if agenda points have to be deferred
Appoint a rapporteur for each agenda point: they will be responsible for outlining any decisions or action points; they could even Chair the agenda point
Appoint someone to monitor “chat” comments and questions: their role is to make sure the Chair is aware of them
Technology often causes problems in meetings. Obviously, having technology that people are comfortable with is critical to the success of any meeting. Giving people who may be unfamiliar with the technology you are using a chance to practice before their first meeting, and the opportunity to ask for training or advice gives an excellent ROI.
During the meeting
There are some simple rules to keep people engaged in an online meeting.
Give everyone a turn to speak. Consider starting with more junior people so they can express an opinion without worrying they are contradicting senior participants. Avoid letting people with strong opinions monopolise the discussion.
Keep an eye on the “Hand raised” function (if available). This will give the Chair an opportunity to invite speakers in. And make sure someone is monitoring the comments in the Chat function so that people who may not have the confidence to speak or raise a hand can be included in the conversation.
Require attendance via video link so you can monitor engagement and emotion. Monitor people’s attention by looking at their video stream. If anyone appears to be unengaged bring them into the discussion,
It can be a good idea to agree what constitutes good “etiquette” for participants in online meetings. We suggest setting out a list of guidelines and sharing them with participants before the meeting.
Read any briefing documents and test your technology before the meeting starts.
Find a quiet space for the meeting: mute your microphone unless it is your turn to talk.
People can see your face so review the angle, lighting and whether there is confidential information visible. Take care with your hands and don’t eat food.
Talk in turn when invited to do so; do not interrupt other speakers. If available, use the “Hand raised” function or ask the Chair if you can speak. The Chair may mute you if you speak at length, off topic, or rudely.
If you are sharing your screen close all other applications and turn off email alerts to protect sensitive information.
• Don’t try to multitask – focus on the meeting.
Keep it professional: just because you are online doesn’t mean you should be informal or impolite to other people.
Managing disagreement
Disagreement is hard to manage in any meeting but can be very difficult in an online meeting because of the lack of physical interactions.
The first step is to try to avoid unnecessary conflict. Not all conflict is bad of course – disagreements can lead to new ideas and helps to avoid groupthink. But where disagreements turn personal, they are unlikely to contribute to the success of a meeting. With no physical presence as a deterrent and with people feeling they are invisible, hidden behind a screen, there are fewer restraints to losing your temper online. So tread carefully when talking online.
Be polite. When videoconferencing, don’t interrupt or talk over people if it is not your turn to talk. It’s hard for an online meeting chair to control this type of behaviour.
Don’t assume that people understand that you are joking, especially in emails when they can’t see your face.
Assume that people mean well. If you feel insulted, try not to respond angrily. Instead ask them if they really meant to insult you. The chances are that they will apologise.
Take care with the words you use. Don’t instruct people as this can come across as arrogant or bullying. Instead say what you would like them to do.
Chairing an online meeting is difficult and it’s important to make sure discussions don’t get out of hand. It helps to avoid offering too many different options in a group meeting. If there are a limited number of options, it will be easier to get a consensus or at least a majority view.
If there are two strongly help irreconcilable positions acknowledge this. You might call for a vote, take a decision to back one argument as the meeting chair, or delay the decision, especially if the argument is likely to affect the timing of the meeting.
Defusing anger
Sometimes anger can erupt for the smallest of reasons, often because of pre-existing resentments. But it can be managed. Watch out for warning signs such as raised voices, insults and personal attacks, threats or highly opinionated arguments. It may be time to calm things down.
Sometimes people get angry because they are losing an argument. Ask them to repeat what they have said and ask them for clarity. Then assure the person that you understand their position and can empathise with it. Next, state the opposing point and describe how it differs from theirs. And them ask them whether they understand it even if they disagree with it.
Accept that not everyone has the same perspective: when someone is in strong disagreement with the majority view, acknowledge that their POV is valid and will be recorded.
If someone gets angry with you during an online meeting:
Don’t get angry in turn.
In any discussion, stick to facts rather than expressing an opinion.
Don’t belittle people or their achievements when making a counter argument.
Don’t pull rank – you are likely to shut down any discussion completely if you do this.
Avoid winning at all costs: if you have won the argument, give your opponent the last word.
Meeting face to face
It isn’t always appropriate to meet remotely. Much as we would all like to avoid tedious and unnecessary meetings that seem to happen just for the sake of having a meeting, sometimes meetings can be important. And sometimes they should happen face to face. However, knowing just when to meet face to face isn’t always obvious.
It is often important to meet physically when discussing something contentious with another individual or when you have to give bad news. (Delivering redundancy notices by text is simply bad manners!) But there are many other reasons to meet face to face:
When you don’t know someone and want to build a relationship. This can be difficult if technology is getting in the way of direct communication. Talking to someone over the telephone or video link is always easier and more natural if you have met them physically first. It is a good idea to meet face-to-face as early as possible in a business relationship.
Physical presence and the ability to see body language means that when you are face-to-face it is easier to build trust in someone. If you are trying to establish trust then doing it in the real world is a lot easier.
Many people are less inclined to talk freely when they use technology to communicate so if you want to get to the bottom of something do it face to face. It is often easier to get someone to talk in detail about something when they are not constrained by having to communicate via technology. Talk face-to-face when you want to get a better understanding of how someone is really feeling or what they think.
Talking via technology can be a way of avoiding, and having to manage, feedback. When you are physically near someone, using the phone or email as a way of communicating can be seen as lazy and disrespectful. If you are seen to be doing this you will quickly lose the respect of colleagues.
Meetings with several people
The reasons for meeting individuals face to face also apply to meetings with several people. In addition, there are some other reasons to hold team meetings in the real world:
When a complex issue is on the agenda and you need to encourage different viewpoints
For certain types of meeting such as creative problem solving or when pitching a new business idea
If you suspect that some people are not engaged with a project
Encouraging workplace visits
It’s important for people to feel connected so coming into an office shouldn’t just be for specific meetings. People should come in on a regular basis so that they continue to feel connected with their organisation, and helps them avoid feeling “invisible” and isolated.
In addition, accidental meetings with colleagues and managers are important as they facilitate the informal communication that is just as important to any organisation as formal communication channels.
COVID-19 may be a wonderful opportunity to drive productivity and work satisfaction by helping people escape from the daily commute. But there are important skills to learn when collaborating or managing remotely. And the occasional physical meeting will not only be necessary it is also likely to be a source of reassurance and even pleasure to your colleagues.