Is your team scattered across the globe? Are you struggling to keep everyone on track during remote meetings? If so, don’t worry – you’re not alone. Remote meetings can be tricky, but they can be just as productive as in-person meetings with a little effort. In this blog post, we’ll discuss seven easy ways to ramp up your team’s productivity during remote meetings. Let’s get started!
Make sure everyone has all the necessary tools and information before the meeting starts
Use the right remote meeting software to host your remote meeting. remote meetings are becoming an increasingly popular way of working, and many companies are adopting them as a result. remote meetings have their own challenges – such as time zone differences, remote workers’ availability, and remote team dynamics – but they also have their own benefits.
There are lots of remote meeting software options out there, so it’s important to choose the one that best suits your needs.
Some remote meeting tools provide a platform for virtual meetings where participants can see each other on screen, while others allow you to record remote video calls so that you can easily share them with remote team members who weren’t able to attend.
Make sure everyone has all the necessary tools and information before the meeting starts, including any remote meeting software they may need to join in on your call (or at least a link).
Try to keep meetings as short and concise as possible
Have you ever attended an online meeting that should have been an email? Sometimes people have a habit of being overly detailed and exhaustive on remote meetings.
Remote teams need to be productive, so it’s your job as the remote manager or remote team leader to make sure that online meetings are effective.
The agenda should consist of one topic, which you can summarize in one sentence. If remote participants get lost with terms and complex explanations, they will quickly lose focus and the meeting will deteriorate.
Keep remote team members on track by sticking to a timer for each agenda item. This is especially helpful when there are multiple items on the agenda. If all goes according to plan, everyone can move on to the next topic with a clear understanding of what was accomplished – and what wasn’t.
Also, if you’re running a meeting that’s going to last for more than an hour, it might be a good idea to break it up into two or three separate sessions.
Encourage team members to participate and offer their thoughts and ideas
It’s difficult to keep remote team members engaged during remote meetings – especially if they’re long.
One of the reasons is that remote workers can’t read body language or facial expressions. They have no idea when it’s their turn to speak, and whether what they want to say has already been said by someone else.
The best fix for this is to use remote meeting software that allows remote team members to raise their hands and be added to the queue. This gives remote workers a clear indicator of when it’s their turn to speak, which will increase engagement during remote meetings.
You can also ask remote team members directly if they have anything else to add before moving on from the current topic.
Finally, remote team members will be more engaged if you give them the chance to participate in remote meetings by asking for their opinions on a particular subject or by giving them tasks. This way remote workers feel like they’re being given the opportunity to contribute and make a difference.
For example, CloudTalk asks all of our employees at the end of each meeting to give comments and constructive feedback as well as ask questions.
Avoid distractions
Focusing on a remote meeting when you’re constantly getting interrupted by notifications from other programs or websites can be nearly impossible.
This is why it’s important to turn off notifications during remote meetings, and to close any other tabs that might be distracting.
If someone needs to step away from the meeting for a moment, let them know ahead of time so remote team members can prepare for the interruption.
Furthermore, it’s helpful to have a remote team member designated as the meeting moderator. This person can keep remote participants on track, and make sure that everyone is staying engaged.
The moderator can also be responsible for taking notes during the meeting, so remote team members don’t have to worry about taking care of that themselves.
Follow up with team members after the meeting to ensure they understood the tasks and goals
Remote meetings can be difficult because remote workers have to stay focused and engaged. This means that remote team members have to concentrate on what’s being said, which makes it more likely they will miss something important.
To make sure remote workers understand what was discussed in your remote meeting, send them a follow up email with all of the important points from the remote meeting.
This will help remote workers remember what was said during remote meetings and keep them engaged in their work.
In your email, include a list of questions that remote team members can ask if they have any doubts or concerns about anything discussed on remote meetings. You should also provide links to resources where remote workers can find more information about remote meetings.
Over to you
Remote meetings are a great way to stay connected with remote team members. In the remote work world remote meetings have become the new water cooler talk, where remote workers can share ideas and ask questions – which will help them do their jobs better.
