I know you have been participating in virtual meetings for a few years now. You are either tired of them or used to whatever format they have. And if you are like me and many others, there are probably occasions when you multitask during these fascinating gatherings. So, it’s never too late to learn more about meeting management and find ways to make virtual meetings more engaging. I have personally listed 5 of the most promising ideas below. Read them and have more fun in your next virtual meeting. 

Plan beforehand and share the agenda

Planning beforehand and sharing the agenda serve many purposes. For starters, they allow you to identify the correct participants for the meeting.

Don’t you hate it when you are invited to a meeting you have nothing to contribute to or gain from?

Well, having a culture of sharing meeting agendas and purpose in the invite will help you experience fewer of these disappointments. 

A second benefit of having the purpose and meeting outline is that participants can prepare for the meeting.

Good practice in meeting management is also to send separate e-mails and agree on what each person should have ready for when you meet. 

Have participation guidelines

I know what you are thinking. Who needs another guideline document? Are they even worth it?

As with everything else in life, the answer is somewhere in between.

While having a document or a web page with guidelines might be a waste of time, agreeing on participation guidelines can do wonders for you and make virtual meetings more engaging. 

You don’t have to use the same guidelines for each meeting. I would actually recommend the opposite. Agree on participation rules and guidelines for every type of meeting:

• If you have a daily or weekly stand-up with one team, have specific rules with them for this type of gathering.
• If you also meet with a broader group of stakeholders to discuss strategic objectives, agree on the rules for these specific sessions. 

Being on the same page with other participants will make the experience more engaging and allow everyone to contribute as much as they need and want to. 

Have cameras on

Yeah, we are all working in jammies now. After a few years of isolation, who fits in anything else???

I am just kidding. Or am I? 😉

Anyway, back to the point. Having cameras on helps immensely with making virtual meetings more engaging. Seeing people’s expressions allows you to gauge engagement and whether you need to do something to make it more fun. 

The video options allow for backgrounds now, so you don’t need to worry about what’s behind you. Feel like being in the office? Choose an office picture. Want to pretend you are at the beach? Get one of these backgrounds. Your options are limitless. 

One additional benefit of being on camera for meetings is that it will force you to at least wash your face, brush your hair, and put a decent top on. These activities can boost your mood overall and help you get energized. If this is not a win-win-win, what would be?

Know the tool

Video conferencing tools are getting better by the day. They offer so many cool features that help with productivity and … drum rolls … engagement!

So, to make your virtual meeting more engaging, get to know the tools. Encourage people to use the reactions, especially if they are off-camera. See what other things there are to help you collaborate better and make sessions more fun. 

A benefit of knowing the tool is that participants will stay more focused and be present for the meeting.

How?

By keeping them actively participating in whatever’s going on. Of course, this would mean that the agenda and the preparation should account for the active participation. That’s why the first suggestion is to plan and prepare. Planning and preparing are fundamental to meeting management in any environment.

Request feedback

While the four ideas above can make your next virtual meeting more engaging, there are nuances and many more details and tips that can help bring more fun. So, my last recommendation is to request feedback after your meetings. Ask for a rating on how engaging the session was, and if the answer is not 10 out of 10, ask what would have made it more fun. 

After all, everything at work is a collaboration. You don’t have to come up with ideas on your own. Your coworkers can and will be a great source of ideas.

Once they provide input and you implement it or engage in a conversation, something interesting will happen. You will have buy-in for your next meeting. Which increases the chances of people being fully present and 100% engaged. This win-win-win theme is coming up again 🙂

Conclusion for Meeting Management

Our world changed. We can now work from home every day or at least a few days of the week.

Many of us will demand 100% remote work, which means that we have the power and responsibility to make remote work a collaborative and fun experience. Meetings are just a part of it, but they are essential.

Making your virtual meetings more engaging will boost overall morale and allow you to experience work from the perspective of win-win (level 5).

Want to find out how engaged your team is? Take this 5-minute quiz.