How to hold effective work meetings, also in times of pandemic

Some time ago I wrote some notes about the tips to have effective work meetings in order to prepare the webinar on effective work meetings which we broadcast live on Linkedin from the EIP International Business School. Of course, in my head a year ago the pandemic would not have happened, much less that teleworking would be imposed on our lives so abruptly.

As life goes on, this time we will talk about the effectiveness of meetings of all kinds because, although we have entered headlong into virtualization, the physical world also exists. Thus:

• In the first part we will analyze general guidelines that serve for virtual and in-person meetings.
• In the second We will see how to make effective our virtual meetings.

1. General guidelines

The general guidelines of order and common sense do not change much whether the meetings are in-person or virtual. The space and circumstances change, but the meaning, objective and value of the meetings will be the same.

To summarize, we can frame the STAGES of the meeting in this graph, and these are the same for meetings of both types.

There are a series of questions that we must ask ourselves before launching the meeting, in this inertia that we have entered into that being in many meetings gives meaning to our day:

• CONVENIENCE : Is this meeting necessary?
• OBJECT What is its main purpose?
• EXPECTED RESULT What do we intend to achieve with it?
• PARTICIPANTS Who should we invite to contribute?
• CHANCE Is it the right time to call it?

And in general, a little order, please:

• Moderate for participants to speak one by one
• Motive those who don't talk much, get them to talk, and those who talk too much, give them control.
• Control the times, avoiding eternal meetings, where one ends up disconnecting. Now in on-line We have it easier because you close the microphone and camera, and you start doing other things.
• Respect the previous agenda, Leave a written record of the conclusions, and monitor that the agreements are fulfilled.

2. Virtual meetings

Teleworking and virtual meetings are here to stay, being a key and totally necessary tool to keep the business alive at a time where physical contact is not possible. We have had to learn out of necessity to deal with platforms that were our door to the world.

I have made a compendium of recommendations:

1. Test technology and connectivity beforehand. There is nothing more frustrating than platforms failing and incapacitating communication, so make sure that participants use the technology to connect and, in case of incidents, have a telephone and email on hand to communicate what is happening, respecting the security of communications. .
2. Be a good host, taking care of relationships. Be warm in the meeting, even if it is virtual, and dedicate the first 10 minutes to chatting and welcoming and asking how it is going, for the family, nothing different from what we would do in the coffee before a face-to-face meeting where we would be breaking the ice and giving the human side to meetings without physical contact.
   Start the meeting by introducing them and asking if all of them and their families are okay. This is a time to care about others, taking into consideration the human side.

3. Have a sheet of names next to you. and talk to them mentioning their name, that will get them into the meeting if they were confused and they will feel heard.
4. Call only the essential ones. The meetings on-line Massive meetings are difficult to manage and when you are in the meeting and don't know what to expect there, it is difficult to maintain interest.
5. Set start and end time, because it is virtual and we do not have to change the car ticket does not mean that the meeting can last forever. Remember from time to time how time is going and the topics that remain to be seen. Calculate as the end time 20 % more time than expected for those final doubts and ideas.
6. Request that the camera be put on. People are more attentive when they are watching us and when we can capture the message behind the non-verbal communication of the attendees.
7. Have active listening, nods his head, so that they feel that we are listening and getting their message.
8. Be specific, let's focus on the purpose of the meeting we have shared. It is advisable to speak in short sentences so that they do not become disengaged and a 10 % higher than in face-to-face meetings, so that the voice reaches the rest perfectly.
9. Don't feign false optimism. In these times of pandemic we are all worried, there is uncertainty because we do not know how long this will last and how it will harm our business. Therefore, it is important to be honest when explaining the situation we are experiencing, but motivating the team to now be more united than ever to move forward.
10. Ask feedback to everyone at the end of the meeting. We may be surprised by the contributions of people who had been silent.

And finally, before closing, do a reminder of key points and the conclusions and actions agreed to be implemented as a result of the meeting and in what deadlines and to which people the responsibility has been assigned, so that they leave with the good taste in their mouths that, from a distance, we continue to be a team. If possible, let's share those conclusions in writing.

We have to be more leaders than ever, more empathetic and motivating than ever, and not forget that WHAT IS GOOD, IF BRIEF, IS TWICE GOOD.