How to Lead Effectively and Inspire During Virtual Meetings Business and education leaders must seamlessly host a wide variety of digital forums without leaving anyone behind.
By Zohar Babin
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There's a viral pandemic. Symptoms include fatigue, tired eyes and a sense of isolation. The spread is rapid, and few have been left untouched.
This is, of course, the pandemic of poorly run remote meetings and video conferences. (Did I say viral? I meant virtual). Today, nearly 80 percent of businesses use video calling technology during meetings. And 86 percent of all organizations have conducted online interviews during the pandemic.
In the workplace or other formal, virtual settings — say, an online classroom — etiquette may not define the event. But it will contribute to how attendees measure the professionalism, expertise and preparation of the organizers.
There may be many who strongly prefer in-person to virtual meetings. But we've reached a point where we must recognize that, with the right leadership and strategy, online meetings should and can be purposeful, engaging and considerate. What was once the source of memes circa April 2020 is now a primary setting to showcase leadership abilities, delegate and inspire teams to meet optimal performance.
Related: A Healthy and Productive Guide to Virtual Meetings
Back to basics
The current state of professional communication is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it feels as if many people have lowered their expectations for pandemic-style meetings and events. But on the other hand, the pressure has never been greater for business and education leaders to seamlessly transition to digital models.
The reality is that failing to make a good impression will quickly undermine the content of a call, no matter the intrinsic quality. Call organizers must be on even before their cameras are — outlining the details of a meeting beforehand, checking the necessary settings and sending clear, easy to access invites so that the meeting can start on time.
Nearly 95 percent of virtual meetings start late. Often due to miscommunication regarding which conferencing tool will be used or confusion about invite codes. People don't go to physical meetings without checking the address and seeing how long it takes to get there — the same steps should apply digitally. Take a few minutes at the beginning of the day to make sure every invite has the proper links and information. This way everyone will be set to jump in on time with minimal complication. Internalizing this virtual routine will show respect to fellow participants and maximize call efficiency and effectiveness.
Related: 5 Rules for Holding Effective Virtual Meetings
Know when to go on mute
Great ideas come from discussion, and it is up to leaders to facilitate those ideas. So get a discussion going and then go on mute as swiftly as possible. This tactic not only goes for virtual meetings but for hybrid ones as well. Hybrid meetings almost always run the risk of bias towards team members in the same physical room. On those calls with mostly in-person participants, organizers must go out of their way to make sure the voices of remote participants are heard.
Failing to make space for all participants often impacts team members from various groups unfairly. In fact, 45 percent of female business leaders say it's difficult for women to speak up in virtual meetings. One in five women feel unheard or ignored during video conferences. Lower-ranking employees or employees from less privileged backgrounds may feel that as well.
Related: 5 Ways to Lead Effective Virtual Meetings With Your Remote Teams
Study the blueprint
Before starting an online meeting, take a moment to consider what is possible and what will be less effective over video. For example, it's harder to know who is raring to speak on a virtual call. Draw direct attention to the raise hand feature and explicitly ask everyone to turn their cameras on in order to see facial expressions, hand gestures or other non-verbal cues. This way, meeting leaders will ensure that everyone has a chance to participate, not just the trigger-happy un-muters. Enforcing a cameras-on policy also helps everyone to focus and avoid desktop distractions — resulting in meetings that are more in-sync, more organized and more productive.
Another way to keep participants engaged is to record the meeting (with consent). This puts subtle pressure on people to be engaged and speak up, particularly in recorded sessions that might get passed to higher-ups or shareholders. And for every meeting, consider the points or topics where quizzes, polls or other chances for interactivity can be woven into the meeting content.
(And a note to all the Zoom call multitaskers out there: you're not getting away with as much as you think.)
Finishing strong
The importance of punctuality applies to both ends of any call. One of the top five problems employees reported is that the allocated meeting time often isn't observed. This is a risk at any type of conference or event, but online platforms make it even easier for time to slip away unnoticed.
Even if a meeting is running perfectly or there is much left to discuss, it is important to respect people's schedules and adhere to the predetermined time. It is certainly reasonable to ask any relevant participants to stay a bit longer. Iif continuing the discussion is really important, a follow-up session can always be scheduled.
Remote call prowess does not a CEO make. But, the ability to seamlessly organize and run virtual meetings is a critical piece of leadership credibility in 2022. Leaders who can adapt virtually to the needs of their employees and workplace are those poised to succeed in the real world.
Related: How to Host Better Virtual Meetings
