There is no doubt that the pandemic has changed so many different aspects of the way we work, but one of them has certainly been the shift towards virtual meetings. While they have taken place for a number of years, they have also started to become more and more commonplace. With this in mind, you may be wondering how you can host a virtual meeting more successfully. Let’s check out a few of them right here and now.
Choose Your Platform
First of all, you need to pick the right platform for your virtual meeting or event. It is more than likely going to be one of the main pieces of software that have become so popular recently, but you need to make sure that everybody is on the same page. It may also be worth checking out the pros and cons of each of them to ensure that you are picking the right one for everybody.
Schedule the Meeting Carefully
Sometimes, you are going to be hosting a meeting that is taking place with people from all over the world. On these occasions, it is certainly going to be worth scheduling the meeting at a mutually convenient time when everybody is actually able to attend. Make use of any tools that tell you about the different time zones and avoid making any silly mistakes of mixing up your AMs and PMs!
Start Sending Out Invites
Once you have chosen the platform you are happy with, the time has come to send out invites to people. First of all, start off with your list of the people that need to attend in the first place. Then, you can send out the link itself. Make sure that you actually include some descriptive information in the subject line and body of the email. This way, everybody knows exactly what they are being invited to.
Create a Meeting Agenda
Just like any other type of meeting, you should design a clear agenda and have it in front of you. This way, it will be much more likely that you will be able to cover off all of the different points you wanted to. If you need to do some introductions, make sure that you do this at the start and make it clear what everybody’s individual role is going to be and their reasons for attending in the first place. Ultimately, it will also be worth building some time here to have casual conversations, as these can help set the groundwork for successful meetings.
Keep an Eye on the Time
One of the main problems with virtual meetings is that they can overrun, so you should make a special effort to keep an eye on the time and move on as and when required.
All of these tips and tricks will help out when it comes to hosting a virtual meeting that runs more effectively and works for you. Virtual meetings will be the norm, so it’s worth doing what you can to make them as effective as possible.
