How to run a productive Zoom meeting
By: Omar Chelbat
Tags: Covid 19, Business, Productivity, Tech, Startup

As we all scramble to protect ourselves from the spreading coronavirus with quarantines and work-from-home arrangements, there’s a very real possibility that face-to-face meetings with co-workers, customers, or suppliers may be canceled for days — or even weeks.

We’ve all been there: Even under the best of circumstances, as soon as two or three people connect to any virtual meeting, productivity starts to suffer. There’s a slew of reasons, so I’ll highlight a few.

People often use virtual meetings as a license to do other tasks. Whoever organized the meeting tends to be less careful with the purpose and design of the conversation, and due to the nature of not being there it’s more difficult to see if everyone is focusing or if one or two attendees dominate the discussion while others sit back and “zone out.”

But it doesn’t have to be this way. Virtual meetings, even impromptu ones, like the ones we are seeing due to the corona-virus, can be more efficient using basic meeting “best practices” and easy-to-use inexpensive/free technology.

Here are 10 steps you can take to make that happen:

1. Turn on video

To make people feel like they’re all actually meeting, use video conferencing rather than just audio. Technology, such as Google Hangouts (this one’s completely free and requires no downloads), Skype, or Zoom, helps to keep participants engaged and personalizes the conversation.

In case you are in a situation where data-limits come into question then using an avatar image with a clear picture of your face would be a good idea. And since others can’t gauge your physical responses try and be more audible and acknowledge what’s happening.

2. Use an icebreaker

I’m not a fan of the staged icebreaker, but it’s important to use every tool available to reinforce interpersonal relationships when people may be feeling isolated. Try and come up with whatever works best for you & your team, whether that’s a joke, a story, or a cheer.

Helvetica & Times New Roman walk into a bar

“Get out of here” shouts the bartender

“We don’t serve your type!”

In these worrying times it’s important to know if a participant may have a close friend or relative fighting the virus, so while not cheerful it also works as an icebreaker, and doubles as a consolation that someone out there cares.

3. Make sure faces are visible

Make sure you don’t put your face too close to the camera or hide half of it outside of the frame

Video conferences are more effective when people can see each other’s facial expressions and body language. Ask individuals to sit close to their webcam to help recreate the intimacy of an in-person meeting.

4. Stick to meeting basics

Just as you would in a regular meeting, prior to the conversation set clear objectives and let participants know beforehand what the goal of the meeting is. During the meeting, use an agenda if necessary, set some ground rules, and take a few breaks if it’s a long one. Don’t forget to clearly outline the next steps after each section, as well as at the end of the meeting.

5. Assign a facilitator

It’s typically a lot harder to manage a virtual discussion than a face-to-face one. It can be helpful assigning one person to guide the conversation, allowing the other participants to focus on the content. The facilitator can also ensure that all voices are heard so valuable perspectives are gathered. Double points if the facilitator can help less tech savvy people with the program you are using for the call.

6. Minimize presentation length

*yappedy yap yap*

The only thing worse than a long presentation is a long presentation during a virtual meeting. Meetings should be discussions. Providing background information beforehand is a must. If someone needs to present then using screen sharing to guide the conversation, so attendees can “be on the same page,” is a great help. When appropriate you should prioritize conversation to maximize the time people are looking and engaging each other.

7. Try out the technology ahead of time

Nothing kills the energy of participants like a 20-minute delay because people need to download software, can’t get the video or mic to work, etc. Prior to a virtual meeting, all participants should get to know the technology and make sure they know how to use the basic features. In case it’s a supplier or customer, conversations may require your team to familiarize themselves with the software they have chosen to use.

Here are some more tips from Dr. Britton from Imperial College, London:

8. Practice a couple times while you’re still together

Hold your next meeting “virtually,” with each participant sitting in their own office, calling in to the meeting with no assistance. After the meeting concludes, gather and share your thoughts about the experience. What went well, what didn’t, what can be improved, or scrapped? How can you improve your virtual meetings to make them as productive as when you meet in person?

9. Call on people to speak

Getting everyone to participate, without talking over each other, is one of the hardest aspects of running a virtual meeting. To avoid this, I recommend periodically calling on individuals to speak, virtually “going around the table” before a decision is finalized. Some tools allow participants to speak one-at-a-time, others to mark that you want to say something — whatever works for your team.

10. Don’t be afraid to deal with tough issues

While it might be easier to discuss tough issues in person, that may not be an option with coronavirus spreading. So don’t shy away from controversial topics just because it’s easier over virtual meetings. Meeting virtually takes practice, but practice makes progress. You’ll be amazed how much you can get out of them once you and your team get comfortable working this way.