Zoom meetings are becoming increasingly prevalent in the workplace. The use of this technology allows modern organizations to be flexible and expansive. The art of conducting an effective Zoom meeting is a learned skill. Luckily, there are many resources such as free Microsoft Teams backgrounds that can help.
Invite The Right Stakeholders
It is tempting to invite anyone and everyone to your meetings. This decision may seem justified for the sake of keeping everyone on the same page. In reality, this reduces productivity and creates confusion. It is crucial to identify and gather only those who are most relevant to the conversation or task. This will focus the meeting and produce results.
Limiting meetings does not mean the rest of your employees will be out of the loop. Don’t forget the power of an email or memo to disseminate important points or updates.
Have Good Lighting, Appearance and Background
Turns out, that appearance is as important in virtual reality as it is in the physical world. In an office setting, it holds that you should still appear as professional as possible. Sloppy clothing or messy surroundings can be distracting for the other members of the meeting. Luckily, there is a virtual solution. You can use a background to hide anything unsightly. You can even have fun and get creative with a customize Zoom background.
Sometimes you need to call sudden or last-minute meetings. This can be stressful if you weren’t expecting to have eyes on you that day. You don’t need to rush around tidying up or stuff yourself into a corner. Pull up a chic meeting background, slick back your hair and button up your shirt– you’re ready to go!
Foster Productive Discussion
The first step to effectively discussing any topic is to get people talking freely. This is especially important for people who aren’t as familiar with Zoom. A virtual ice breaker with large group can establish rapport while making introductions.
Once everyone loosens up, guide them back to the topic at hand. Comfortable, happy employees come up with better ideas. You will stand in awe of the improved creative flow that a few minutes of small talk can inspire.
Introduce Structure
To keep a feeling of progression and minimize dead air or awkward pauses, it helps to structure your meetings. When people know what to expect and where to focus they tend to participate with more confidence. An established structure also ensures that you can address everything on the docket.
Structure does not have to be boring. You can make your meeting schedule visually appealing or use a collaborative platform for note-taking. There are a lot of fun applications available for working together online.
Practicing effective leadership in an online space requires the use of specialized online tools. Take the time to sharpen your management skills in the new and exciting sphere of remote work. Play around with these applications before your next Zoom meeting and look like a rockstar at work.
