It’s already been a couple of months since the pandemic happened. Many businesses are still having a hard time translating their work environment to the current virtual one. One of their biggest struggles is on how to make remote meetings work. In this article, I’ll share with you 5 tips for productive remote meetings. 

Business leaders I’ve been talking to admitted that it’s a struggle to handle a remote team. They’re scared that the organization might start declining in productivity and efficiency. It’s a valid concern since the work environment we knew was always physical. 

But don’t think of this as a hurdle. Think of it as a way to revolutionize your workplace. As much as you’d want things to go back to what it used to be, these virtual meetings will be here to stay. When you realize how they’re saving you time, labor, and cost, you’ll know they’re not that bad. 

These virtual platforms can do a lot for your business. Especially in your meetings. You just need to have the right approach. Here are 5 tips for productive remote meetings that you can implement right away. 

Do these 5 things in your virtual workspace and you’ll be just as productive as ever. 

Plan And Align With The Team Before Going Live 

Before scheduling a virtual meeting, consider distributing an agenda ahead of time with key talking points. This will help your team follow the discussion easier and allow them to think of important questions or concerns that might have been overlooked. 

When you include your team in the preparation of the meeting, they’ll see things you can’t. Aside from that, this will help you be accountable to how much time you’re allotting on these meetings. 

Avoid The 90-minute Fatigue  

People can get easily distracted and tired during virtual discussions. Make sure to encourage quality interaction and participation every time you have remote meetings. I emphasized quality because you can’t afford to drift off topic during these meetings.  

Most people have an attention span of about 20 minutes and they start to experience session fatigue at the 90-minute mark. So make sure your meetings last about 60 to 90 minutes max with breaks every 10 minutes or so. Otherwise no one will be able to absorb what you’ve discussed and it would all have been just a waste of time. 

Take Advantage Of Various Technologies 

There are plenty of virtual platforms you should utilize aside from the usual screen-sharing presentations. Do live streams that go out to all employees but also have impromptu sessions where you can respond to certain questions or concerns. Have your team leaders do unique things such as podcasts and Facetime sessions.  

You can also do virtual whiteboard and break-out meetings. Don’t forget to schedule team meals and virtually celebrate an employee’s birthday. If you keep things interesting you should be able to boost team morale in spite of everything. 

Provide Helpful News Recaps 

Everyone is feeling overwhelmed by what’s on the news but it’s important to discuss these things every now and then. Curate essential news from legitimate sources to help filter out unnecessary negativity and unwanted fake news. By being a reliable source of information and support, you’re helping ease your team’s anxieties to some extent. 

Facilitate Sharing And Caring 

You can make use of your virtual meetings to provide employees with a way to share what’s on their minds and offer care to those in need. These can be about anything. Let people share their wins and thoughts about what’s happening. Let them share what they’re going to work on in the coming weeks.  

You can also create a bulletin board where everyone can paste links to various resources or encourage your team to support local charities. Be creative. Involve everyone as much as possible and let them pitch in their ideas. Make sure to leverage the technology you have to keep your employees inspired, connected, and uplifted during these difficult times. 

Final Thoughts On Tips For Productive Remote Meetings 

As the leader of an organization, it’s our job to quickly adjust to unprecedented times such as these. Right now your priority should be taking care of your team members and making sure they have a proper system to adjust to. These tips for productive remote meetings will not only help your business survive, but thrive. 

Want more tips on how to manage a remote team? Read this article.