If you are like most business organizations, you have had to drastically pivot the way that you communicate with your employees as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. For example, it is no longer appropriate to gather in large groups for company meetings. Fortunately, today’s modern technology makes it easy to still connect with your employees even if you cannot meet in person.
Here are five tips to keep in mind when conducting a large company meeting remotely.
Utilize Audio Conferencing Technology: Gone are the days of gathering together in large auditoriums to get your message across. Today’s business leaders are leveraging technology to bring people together remotely. Utilizing audio conferencing technology makes it easy to include everyone that you need to so that nobody on your staff is left out of the communication efforts. Knowing a few important tips for large audio conference calls will help to support a successful meeting experience for everyone involved.
Introduce the Speakers: Because there is no physical component, it is more important than ever that you have a good plan for introducing your speakers. You will want to be clear with your direction and introduction so that the attendees have a context for what they are about to hear. Appointing a master of ceremonies for the meeting will help to ensure organization and a good flow.
Mute Those Not Speaking: A remote meeting conducted through the use of technology can become chaotic quickly. You can help to promote a more focused meeting by muting those who are not speaking. This will eliminate extraneous noise so that the attendees can give their full attention to the speakers and the information presented. Muting those not speaking will also keep everyone focused on the person talking because they are not distracted.
Provide Objectives and an Agenda: The meeting will be more valuable if the attendees know the objectives at the beginning. You should also provide every attendee with a written agenda so that they know what is to come. This will help to guide the meeting and provide a guide for references. Following an agenda will also ensure that important topics are covered and that none of the details fall through the cracks. You will boost your overall meeting efficiency if you lay everything out for people to follow.
Answer Questions at the End: It is understandable that the meeting will generate employee questions as you move through the information. Savvy business leaders will not discourage employees from asking questions and providing input. However, the meeting will flow more efficiently if you ask the attendees to hold the questions until the end. Working a question and answer session on the agenda will help to accomplish this initiative.
Do not let the inability to gather in person prevent you from bringing your staff together. Following these five tips will ensure that your meeting meets all of its goals and the employees leave feeling valued and informed.
