How to make the most out of remote meetings

General tips for organizing online meetings:

1. Keep them structured. Create an agenda in advance of the meeting with input from attendees, if necessary. Present the agenda before the session, and at the start of the call. Allocate timeframes for each section, and leave room for a Q&A or discussion.

2. Plan ice breakers for remote meetings. Ice breakers are a great way to get people comfortable with the remote meeting environment, especially if they don’t know each other. Do a round of introductions, and ask everyone to share something interesting about themselves

3. Appoint a lead or moderator. Choose someone on your team to steer the meeting. They will need to present the agenda, stick to the allocated time frame, and drive the discussion forward.

4. Send invitations and access links in advance. If you’re planning a more formal online meeting, create access links using your chosen conference platform, and send calendar invitations to your team. Ensure that all attendees can access the platform before the call.

5. Assign roles. If your remote meeting involves multiple speakers and topics, it’s a good idea to assign jobs before the call starts. Who will be taking notes? Who is in charge of the follow-up? Who are the presenters? Hash these details out beforehand to ensure a smooth meeting.

6. Use a meeting management tool to track the outcomes. Use a meeting management tool to take notes and establish to-dos and meeting outcomes.