Ten tips for a successful virtual meeting
By successful virtual meeting I mean a virtual event that all participants leave fully satisfied and with the feeling that they have used their time well.
I practice Linguistic Empathy and I expect you to do the same. Please bear with me if my English is not perfect. Read the Italian version here.
Organizing a successful virtual meeting is not a given. But I only understood this since COVID-19 forced us to resort to the virtual as the primary mode of communication. I’m lucky because my coaching job was done online before COVID-19. The one as an intercultural trainer, on the other hand, took place in presence, but it was not difficult to adapt it to the screen.
My intention to launch a game that I had spent months designing, testing and perfecting, and that requires in-person interaction, was brutally frustrated by the emergency. Hence my need to bring the idea of the game to the virtual world as much as possible. I started inventing new games and adapting old ones, and testing it all out with the Expatclic community.
Again for the Expatclic community, ever since COVID shook our lives, I have organized dozens of virtual meetings of a wide variety: from coffee/aperitifs for a chat to real thematic webinars, from round tables on portable careers to lessons of yoga, pilates, fitness, and much more. I have therefore learned a lot in recent months about the organization of a successful virtual meeting. Below I share my top tips.
The organization begins when the idea is born
Unless you are the one presenting during the virtual meeting, you must, first of all, understand some things about the person or persons who will animate it. How familiar are they with the software you are going to use? How comfortable do they feel speaking in public? Will the content they present be really in line with what they promise? Do they have a bubbly and chatty personality, or are they rather shy and reserved? You certainly cannot change the personality of the people who will animate your virtual meeting, but you can certainly prepare yourself in one way or another. Try to understand the person as much as possible. Even if you’re short on time, a call before the meeting helps you figure out who you will introduce to your audience. It will also help you to clearly communicate what you expect, but above all what you DO NOT expect.
Good communication around the meeting
Communication prior to the meeting is essential for a successful virtual meeting. In two senses: first, because it serves to explain exactly what participants will gain with the meeting, and to create expectation. Those who arrive full of expectation (who will not be disappointed because you will have explained well what the contents of the meeting will be) immediately contribute to creating a warm and inclusive atmosphere. They will listen with enthusiasm, concentration, and participation, thus putting the speaker at ease, who in turn will give his/her best.
Speaking of a warm and inclusive atmosphere…
You must never forget that what you have in a meeting, whatever its purpose, is a group, which, like any cultural group, is united by the commonality of purpose. However, like any cultural group, it hosts different elements from the point of view of personality, previous experiences and the degree of involvement in the topic. Ignoring what can result from these differences is a big mistake.
You cannot expect everyone to snap to attention if you ask for an opinion or an intervention, nor for everyone to react with the same enthusiasm to a stimulus. The secret to a successful virtual meeting is to be able to quickly understand the differences between the various participants, and find the appropriate communication method to bring them all towards the goal. I will not force to speak a person who is very shy and who needs more time to feel comfortable in the group to speak, nor will I abruptly silence a verbose personality.
Don’t leave anything to chance
You’ll greatly increase the chances that everything goes smoothly during the meeting if you plan as much in detail as possible. Although it may sometimes seem difficult to draw up a detailed sequence of actions, interventions and proposals, it is very important to have a program established in advance. And this program must be WRITTEN. On your computer or on a sheet of paper that you will keep next to you, but easily accessible to view. It will be your lantern when difficulties arise.
Prepare all the necessary materials well
It is super important that any material you prepare for the meeting is close at hand and well ordered. If you prepare a power point, make sure that everything is presented flawlessly and that the file is in an accessible place. You certainly don’t want to go rummaging through all the various folders on your computer when you have a group of people online hanging on your lips.
In the case of meetings that require the use of multiple documents and images, find a system with which you feel at ease. When I give my webinars on games, I prepare exactly the sequence of the games that I will propose, and I write it down in a notebook that I always have next to the computer. For the occasion, I clean the desktop well, deleting images and documents that I do not need, and moving the others to specific folders, and I move there all the material I will need during the webinar, well marked in folders that bear the name of the game.
Welcome everyone and warm up the atmosphere
If you were in a room and the participants to your event gradually entered, you would probably get up to welcome them, shake their hand, or maybe even give them a couple of kisses on the cheeks. Well, you have to be able to do the same virtually, in the way that comes most spontaneous and that suits your personality. Whatever this is, it’s important that attendees feel warmly welcomed. It is also important to warm the atmosphere. Do not rush to the topic of the meeting without having exchanged a few words or made a little joke that melts the ice. If you know a nice icebreaker to do online, do it. Even if your group is made up of people from result-oriented cultures, remember that coming face to face on a screen, with no outline and no distractions, can be difficult and limit interaction, which must be encouraged by creating the right atmosphere, especially between people who meet for the first time.
Make sure everyone knows how to use the software
In the case of interactive meetings, it is important that all participants are able to work on the software you are using. Spending some time explaining the mechanics and rehearsing is not a waste of time. It puts participants at ease and ensures greater interaction.
Attention to privacy
The privacy of your participants is very important. If you have to record the meeting, make sure everyone is aware of it and not against it. Do not force anyone to use the webcam, unless it is necessary for the smooth running of the meeting. Never disclose personal details or e-mail addresses without prior consent.
Keep your gaze 360°
Throughout the meeting it is important to maintain a 360° view of the participants. If the group is very large, you can be assisted by a moderator who will have the sole task of checking that everyone is relaxed, that there are no perplexed or confused expressions on their faces, and that they do not try to speak without being heard. Create an atmosphere in which you can be sure that each participant feels comfortable expressing themselves and asking for clarification in case of confusion.
A successful virtual meeting doesn’t end when you close the screen
At the end of the meeting it is important to take another step, that is to consolidate the connection created with the participation. Send a final message. This may contain links and resources that were mentioned during the meeting or simply a thank you. Do not share participants’ addresses, unless you have been authorized to do so.
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As I said above, I have managed dozens of meetings of all kinds in recent months, and participated in as many. I have not only learned from my mistakes, but also from those of others. It takes time and concentration to get to organize a successful virtual meeting, but it is a highly rewarding experience.
If you need further ideas or information, don’t hesitate to get in touch.