BONUS episode :  Has COVID19 forever changed how we run meetings?

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word, Meeting.

Does that word make you cringe? 

Is it because you’ve been a victim of bad meeting after bad meeting?

Meetings are a fact of life in business.

If you’re leading a meeting, you cannot afford for it to be 

• Unproductive
• Meaningless
• Or otherwise irrelevant

 With this massive shift where many people are working remotely, I have to wonder, will the result be that we’re going to be smarter about meetings? 

This whole event has disrupted how we’re working.

And I believe it’s exposing the inefficiencies of meetings in new ways… 

• No defined purpose for the meeting
• No agendas
• People leaving without clear action items
• Lacking accountability

Many of you are experiencing new meeting formats. 

Having to deal with the learning curve of using new technology

As well as technical issues and trouble shooting

Here are 5 quick tips to making your next virtual meeting successful (NOTE:  these are based using Zoom paid accounts)

1. Send out the invitation with at least 24 hours notice with the link – always with the link – to the meeting. Every time.
2. Turn off Chat. As the meeting organizer, this is an option when you set the meeting up.
   • Using chat can be distracting and often is downright disrespectful if it’s unrelated or could even contribute to some toxicity between members
3. Make video mandatory. We need to see faces and this increases engagement.
4. Teach, and then remind everyone to mute when they’re not speaking. 
   • The background noise, slurping a coffee, or environment noise will make it hard to hear.
5. Be a great facilitator. 
   • If this is your meeting, ask someone else to take notes if necessary. 
   • Don’t allow someone to hijack your meeting with their own agenda. 
   • Break in and ask for that conversation to go offline

Do these 5 things well and watch how your team responds. Your meetings will become:

• More focused
• More productive
• More engaging
• Shorter

As always I invite your ideas, comments and questions.

Meetings are fact of life for leaders, so take ownership for their success.

Your team will thank you for it.

Thank you for listening, and remember, the unbusy leader releases the talent, passion and skill of everyone around them.