Some virtual meetings will be broadcast; management putting out a message or status update. Questions may be needed for clarification but not much is expected of the participants other than to understand what is happening and what they need to do.

This post is about the other sort of meeting, one that is truly interactive, where positive contributions are wanted.  I start from the position that everyone needs training for this kind of meeting and that includes the meeting leaders.  In the pre-pandemic age managers who needed to get a message across would have had TV and PR training, knowing not only what to say but also how to say it and what not to say.  In virtual meetings, much more than ever, leaders need to be guides – bringing out the right level of contribution from every participant.  Those at the meeting need to learn how to marshal their thoughts and to put their opinions and ideas across in a positive, non-confrontational way.  These are all things that can be taught and which contribute to productive meetings.

As with physical meetings there will be three kinds of attendees:

1. Those who cannot wait to get their faces on the main screen and make their presence known, loud and clear.  Sometimes, people who just won’t shut up much to the annoyance of their fellows.
2. Those who just wish that the ground would open and swallow them up.  Who would have had no sleep the night before and who dreaded switching their laptop on in the morning.
3. Hopefully, these two groups are a minority and the rest take these meetings in their stride without needing to perform or hide.

The aim of any meeting must be to get content and decisions which foster adaption, adoption and/or improvement.  Each meeting should have a purpose and a goal.  If we are meeting just because it is ten o’clock on Monday morning and everyone tunes in without much forethought, then not much will be achieved. It is also important to determine the best size of meetings. A virtual meeting larger than, say, twelve people is likely to be a broadcast meeting, whatever the intentions.  There will not be time for every contribution to be heard and considered.  Meeting effectiveness declines exponentially as more participants are added.  It may be desirable to have hierarchical meetings; team meetings with a whole team, group meetings with team leaders, department meetings with group leaders, etc. There could be larger meetings with only leaders speaking on behalf of their cohorts with others participating as observers.

The boss/stooge relationship does not work too well in virtual meetings.  It is much more effective if the meeting is more like a meeting of equals in partnership, working for the good of the organisation.  If the senior is too dominant, then contributions will be inhibited.  “I am not going to say anything that might make her cross”.  “I am not going to say anything because they don’t take any notice of me anyway”.  The leader needs to be able to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of every participant to be able to encourage the right idea at the right time.  At the start of each meeting, every participant should be encouraged to introduce themselves, if they are not regular colleagues, or say how they are if they are well known to each other.  This is an important ice-breaking process which helps to get the meeting going. Within the meeting, it should be possible for anyone to ask permission to interrupt or to ask a question.  These are two different things.  A leader may accept an interruption – possibly because there is an error or a misunderstanding – but may choose to leave questions to the end.  Part of the leader’s training will have been about how to be a good chairman.  Also, one definite virtue of a virtual meeting is the ability of the participants to vote.  “How many of you agree with Kevin’s idea.  Vote now.”  (And accepting that if no-one liked Kevin’s idea it does not make it a bad idea).

I worked, for many years, for global companies with US leaders.  One idea that was well received by all levels was the “Friday Afternoon Beer Bust” – probably very non-PC these days.  The idea was that everyone who was around at the end of the day on Fridays, from CEO to janitor, got together to socialise and chat about the week’s achievements.  Its is great for organisational morale to have a virtual version of this at the chosen ‘end -of-play’ point (which could be Friday afternoon).  The idea is to give everyone a pat on the back, to talk about the week’s successes and explain what went wrong, to announce promotions and give out awards.  To boost morale, to include everybody and to spread the love.

Graeme Ward FRSA is consultant with long term experience of going to meetings.