Here’s how to ace cyberspace meetings

We hold meetings to influence people, to make decisions, to solve problems and to strengthen relationships.

These goals are easier to achieve in face-to-face meetings but a challenge when using Zoom, Skype and other Internet applications.

As businesses increasingly move meetings into cyberspace, it is imperative to manage these meetings well for success. Remote meetings can have many advantages: they save money and time while bringing together a geographically diverse group of participants.

Keeping participants focused is one of the facilitator’s worries. They can be easily distracted by many things, including the whoosh of e-mails, desire to surf the Net, and an endless string of messages on the phone.

So, how can the facilitator ace these meetings?

The facilitator must prepare ahead of time, not only by ensuring that technology is working well but also by sharing the agenda. This allows participants to prepare for each topic ahead of the meeting. An agenda is particularly helpful for those who may have language-related difficulties and therefore need more time to absorb the information.

Etiquette requires that we be courteous to other participants, speak clearly and keep body movements to a minimum. For a video call, participants should dress decently, avoid distracting noises or holding side conversations. External noises can also be distracting, and should be avoided.

If participants are in different time zones, there could be some audio or video lag between the speaker and the recipient. Therefore, speakers should consciously speak a little slower. To make the conversation more natural, participants should make eye contact by looking into the camera.

If you are like me, you dislike those silent moments when the facilitator asks a question and the call goes dead silent, with no one willing to be the first to speak. This often happens because participants have not warmed well to each other.

To avoid it, open the communication lines 10 minutes ahead of the meeting so that people can start by chitchatting and break the ice in advance. Have someone present to greet and talk with participants once the lines are open.

Also, because most online group call software such as Skype and Zoom have a chatting feature, the facilitator can keep the audience engaged by asking a question and asking participants to post their answers in the chat space.

Here is my point: Keeping participants on remote meetings engaged can be a tough needle to thread. Think ahead of the meeting on how to capture and keep their attention. Above all, be lively and don’t lose sight of the goal of the meeting.