How to structure the process of preparation for the online board meeting? Why is it important? Tips for making a successful meeting performance.
Online meetings help to coordinate the interaction between board members at a distance. But how to make them as effective as offline ones? And what steps should be taken to prepare the perfect online meeting?
Plan a meeting
Before you call a boardroom meeting, make sure you really need it: some issues can be resolved without bringing all the participants together in one online session. For example, if you want to inform your employees about a change in the project deadline, it is enough to write a letter or a message in a work chat, but it is better to discuss the details of a new project via video link: so all participants can listen to each other and find the best solutions.
Once you have decided on the purpose of the meeting, make a plan. Write down all the topics of the meeting, their sequence and the allotted time for each question. Send the meeting plan to all participants in advance so they don’t waste time thinking about a response in the meeting and don’t miss the content of the conversation if the connection goes down.
Choosing time for the meeting
After planning the meeting, determine in what period it will take place. For example, it is better to set creative sessions in the morning: at the beginning of the day, the brain is not yet tired of solving work tasks, and ideas will come much easier than in the afternoon. For the evening, you can leave the discussion of the routine.
In case the participants are located in different time zones, make sure that the selected time is convenient for everyone.
Check the technique and take care of the appearance
Before joining an online meeting, make sure your camera and microphone are working properly so that you don’t waste time setting them up in the meeting. Also, before the meeting, close all unnecessary tabs to improve the quality of communication and not show co-workers too much when sharing the screen. It is desirable for all participants to connect to the conference via a computer: probably you will not know who may need the screen sharing function. Pay attention to the background of the video: do not sit in front of the door so that other people do not accidentally get into the frame. Better choose a place with a wall view or set a virtual background.
Define the roles of all participants
Choose a meeting moderator – a person who will set and control the direction of the conversation, create the opportunity to talk to other participants. Determine who will monitor the meeting time, warn how many minutes are left for the discussion of a particular issue: this will help you not to break timing and finish the meeting on time. What is more, it is important to appoint a person who will keep a text protocol: he is needed in order to record the results of the meeting. Many online platforms give the opportunity to turn on the recording of the meeting so that during the session you are not distracted by the notes, but transcribed later.
Conclusion
You need to prepare for online meetings with board members, especially pay attention to the technical part of the session. Be sure to check the microphone and camera in advance, you (as well as other participants of the discussion) should be heard and seen well.
Set the rules for online meetings in advance: choose a moderator who will manage the topics of discussion, an employee who will keep track of time and is responsible for taking notes of the meeting.
Following the advice we listed below will make it possible for you to lead an excellent online board meeting and have the best meeting experience with your colleagues.