Planning a Successful Remote Meeting

Meetings within a shared office building are easy to plan in advance and impromptu. Usually a physical office building has a few rooms where teams can meet and a separate calendar to reserve the space. In the virtual setting, scheduling a remote meeting can take more effort to coordinate between departments and individuals. Your company may require you to use a specific online meeting tool as well as a calendar tool to avoid scheduling conflicts. One co-worker lamented the lack of calendar in her company, as she was expected to attend two different remote meetings scheduled at the same time. If management does not have a protocol in place, inquire if they plan on creating a structure to help avert scheduling mishaps.

Ask yourself if you really need a meeting for the topic at hand

Not all topics require a meeting for discussion. Sometimes topics like policy changes can simply be communicated through email. If a topic requires discussion then decide how to address it: in small group meetings or is the company addressing all employees at once. Team meeting check-ins can strengthen work bonds, but try to schedule the meetings when they do not interrupt the flow of an individual's work tasks.

List the people who must be attendance

Ask yourself if anyone from management needs to attend the meeting. If so, coordinate with that person to find a meeting time that fits their schedule. After the time is set, work through who else needs to attend the meeting.

Create an agenda

Remote meetings benefit from agendas the same as in-person meetings. If this is a department meeting then perhaps the agenda is set with similar subjects each meeting. If this is a special meeting to discuss a new development, frame out how much time to give each person during discussion. Remote meetings can become awkward if people do not know when to speak up. COnsider an open discussion period where people raise their virtual hands to speak or the presenter calls on them. This will open up the meeting to everyone and not just the people comfortable with interrupting.

Schedule the meeting in your company’s calendar

Best case scenario is when a company has all management use the same calendar so there are less meeting conflicts. Send out invitations through your company’s choice of video meeting platforms. Whether it’s Zoom, Google Meet, or Webex, all attendees will need to be invited to join the meeting. Check the platform you’re using and see if you can create a template for the different types of meetings you’re expected to run. These lists of attendee emails will cut back on time as you schedule more remote meetings.

Respond to scheduling conflicts

If a lot of people write back saying they cannot attend, consider why: did the meeting conflict with another meeting? Is it at an awkward time around lunch or the end of the day? Figuring out the best time to meet with your team can be challenging. Consider sending out a poll first to pinpoint available dates if this becomes an issue.

Planning remote meetings can be quick and easy once you have the necessary steps down. The more remote meetings you run, the more comfortable you will become with the meeting platform and how to run the meeting itself. Your team will also guide you in how everyone feels comfortable to speak to create a safe, productive space to work remotely.