Virtual team meetings are fast increasing. They are a great way to bring your team together, whilst you’re all working remotely on projects. These can be pre-planned, or a spontaneous team meeting to bring heads together and check in on how assignments are going. This article will explore how to maximise your virtual team meeting with some simple steps.
Host the meeting via video conferencing.
It’s hard conducting a virtual team meeting when your work force is not face to face. You miss out on picking up those physical clues on how everyone is doing. However, it becomes the only option when you have remote team members, especially when
they may be in different time zones. A video call is the next best thing.
It will allow you to still see your team’s faces and will feel like you are still in the room together. If, however, video conferencing is difficult to achieve for some members, then ensure audio is still used so that you can hear each other’s voices. This creates a much more personal feel when it comes to the meeting which is far more effective when discussing projects and tackling any hurdles.
Test the technology before use.
We all know how technology can be; unpredictable. That’s why it is best to test out the technology before a big virtual team meeting. That way, if you come across any issues, you will be able to iron them out before the team meetings. Encourage your remote employees to have downloaded the software beforehand and check that it is running okay their end too.
There is nothing worse then technology failing at the start of a meeting, as it sets that atmosphere up for the duration of the virtual team meeting. If a team member is struggling with the software, get them to check in with you beforehand so that they feel more confident during the meeting.
Think about team icebreakers.
It’s hard to feel connected when you have a team of remote workers. Think about starting the team meeting with some virtual team building games. A nice simple one is a scavenger hunt. You could spend ten minutes asking your remote teams to find something red, or something beginning with a certain letter etc.
This fast-paced game makes a great ice breaker for a virtual meeting, whilst team building. Other virtual team building activities could be sharing a funny picture, or sharing a fun fact, or playing two truths and a lie where the fellow team members have to guess what the lie is. You could also host a monthly book club, where you share what books you may have read over the month.
By starting the meeting with an ice breaker, you get everyone warmed up and ready to tackle the projects and discuss any hurdles they may be facing. It allows trust to be built, and better working relationships so that going forward there is better
communications within the project.
Don’t let the meeting overrun.
Bringing together distributed teams can be a challenging task, particularly if you have a vast amount of people on the virtual team meeting. That is why it is important to create a meeting agenda. Try and stick to what needs to be covered and don’t let the meeting overrun or go on too long. You will find after a while that your team members will start to switch off, as it is hard to keep attention via video conferencing.
Why not use some of the meeting tools, such as the ability to go into break out rooms to keep the interest going. It allows team members to discuss their remote work in smaller groups, whilst giving diversity to the meeting format.
This will help to keep engagement up. I hope that this article has given you some ideas on how to maximise your virtual team meeting. It can be hard work hosting a meeting on video conferencing tools, so keep in mind the temperamental issues that technology can have, ensure you stick with a meeting agenda and help warm your team members up by starting with an ice breaker.
All of these tips will help you run a great virtual meeting, which will keep your team unified and up to speed on the latest with your project. Get in touch with us if you would like to know more on how Execview can help maximise your project planning and management.
