Organize Better Video Meetings
Using video conferencing is a great way to host productive meetings resulting in new ideas and actionable conclusions. Getting down to business is essential when you’re gathering a group of colleagues into one space, because it means that everyone’s time is being used. You want to make sure that everyone’s on the same page so that your and their time is well spent, and that means making sure you’re prepared. Here are a few tips on how you can most effectively organize meetings using video conferencing.
- Why, When, and Where?
Business 2 Community suggests that a smart approach to effectively using video conferencing technology is to clarify exactly how and when to use it. Just like any type of communication tool, there are times when video conferencing suits the situation better than others. Blogger and workplace productivity expert Alexandra Levit recommends thinking carefully about why you’re going to use the technology, and warns not to utilize it in order simply to check a box. There are providers such as Bluejeans that also offer lots of tools and options if you’re conducting Blue Jeans video meetings, that range from content sharing to mobile device compatibility. The opportunity to properly utilize these tools is there as long as you properly evaluate the needs of what the video conference needs to achieve.
- Words Matter
photo/ Bluejeans.com
Word choice matters. For example, Business 2 Community discusses the definition of words and what they convey to a listener, especially in business interactions. They define the word “busy” as conjuring images of frantic stress and being out of control, whereas the word “productive” means the same thing, but elicits a completely different sentiment. Although these words essentially have the same meeting, choosing the one that has more positive connotations, or that has been carefully thought out, can go a long way in how you communicate with people. This is especially true when it comes to video conferencing, because although you can see the person’s face, you can’t read their body language the same way you might if you were meeting in person. Be sure to select words that convey the right tone as well as meaning. This saves time, increases understanding, and improves communication. It’s also a point worth bringing up to the rest of your staff. Thinking before you speak is a time honored tradition for a reason.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Evolve
One of the key components to success is a willingness to evolve, especially as the way that business colleagues communicate and interact continue to change, according to Entrepreneur. Whether you’re a small business in its infancy or a larger, established corporation looking to refine the way meetings are conducted, this principle is always relevant. Using video conferencing technology itself, for example, is a sign that you’re willing to keep up with the times and embrace everything that the world of business communication has to offer. Once upon a time, typed memos were the standard form of communication. Then came e-mail which is still being used all the time. However, in the last decade, video conferencing is a new form of communication that’s become increasingly popular and is a growing market, developing most quickly in the United States, but also all around the world. Therefore, being one of the first to latch on and accept it as an effective method is an example of being ready to evolve. The more willing you and your colleagues are to try new things, the more use you’ll get out of hosting video meetings.
- Share the Results of the Meeting
Make sure you appoint someone to take minutes during your meeting. One of the biggest mistakes that many managers make is not establishing actionable points at the end of the discussion. For example, if you’re discussing the shortcomings of a project or missed deadlines, don’t have it simply be a report on how the team failed. Make sure the information is conveyed, but then carve out a follow-up action and make sure that you remind everyone after the meeting ends. This can be in the form of distributing the minutes to everyone, but such actions as sending appointment requests, setting up future meetings with particular team members to receive updates, and establishing new deadlines is what makes a project move. One of the biggest downfalls of any meeting is that a discussion takes place, but then nothing happens. Make sure that your meeting is not only efficiently run, but also ends with action.
Video meetings are very much like real life meetings in terms of how to organize them and manage the proceedings. A video meeting is different, though, because you have the instantaneous event of having people who might be working on projects but located in other places there to actively discuss the issue at hand. That means that there’s less back and forth to check in with people who can’t make the in-person meeting, and potential for the entire process and conclusion to be sped up. Always remember that if you wield the tools the right way, video conference meetings can go twice as fast and achieve more than a traditional in-person meeting.
