Meetings make a crucial part of our workday hours — no schedule of an office worker is complete without them. Unfortunately, not all meetings are productive endeavors; many are considered a waste of time. If you ever wonder why you are in a meeting, or for no specific reason you're in a meeting — you're in good company.
A survey of 182 senior managers across industries indicates 65% said meetings keep them from completing their work. In addition, 71% said meetings are unproductive and inefficient.
Meetings are probably among the few things that flourished during COVID. As a result, most office workers found their time spent in hybrid meetings skyrocketed.
The hybrid work model has made communications harder than before. But just how do you make your hybrid meeting more productive? Here we have some simple but essential tips to solve this dilemma and improve your meeting efficiency.
1. Have a well-defined agenda and communication strategy
To many of us, meetings are essential in fostering relationships and ensuring information exchange. However, they can be fruitful only when a clear agenda is present, making the process functional and everything on track. Every participant knows what to expect and prepares for it accordingly.
A good meeting agenda can always be broken down into issues and questions and a clear timetable, so no minutes are wasted on irrelevant topics. Without a plan, a meeting could quickly go out of control, becoming endless chatter that can get anywhere but a conclusion.
In this vein, establishing clear communication guidelines for hybrid meetings is also a must. Clear rules on response times and communication channels can make a big difference. For example, you might decide that meeting invites should be sent out at least 48 hours in advance, and that all participants should confirm their attendance via chat channels within 24 hours.
Other meeting communication strategies include starting on time, participant check-ins and limits on speaking times. Putting all these tools into practice can help keep hybrid meetings from going off the rails.
2. Replace the meeting with virtual communication tools
The first question you should ask yourself before launching a meeting is — whether you need to meet. And if you do, is there a specific goal to meet?
Asynchronous communication and collaboration tools, like Skype or Teams, can quickly eliminate many traditional meetings. Instead, we can brainstorm, give feedback, and share ideas and perspectives when well-prepared, even if we can't meet in the same place at the same time.
Moreover, there’s a variety of scheduling tools and project management tools that can streamline hybrid meetings by organizing schedules, sending reminders, and tracking tasks in one central location. For example, a project management tool like Trello can be used to assign action items during the meeting and have different team members monitor their completion.
3. Prepare to Be Flexible
A hybrid work meeting without any flexibility is bound to run into problems. Flexibility lets you accommodate for diverse working styles and various time zones, ensuring that all your coworkers can participate effectively.
To foster this flexibility, consider scheduling meetings at rotating times to give everyone a chance to join during their optimal working hours. Additionally, record meetings and share notes for those who cannot attend live, so that they can stay informed and contribute asynchronously.
A team that uses a combination of live meetings, recorded sessions, and collaborative tools like shared documents and chat platforms, is much more capable of weathering any hiccups. Most crucially, it also enables everyone to stay engaged and productive regardless of their location or schedule.
4. Schedule Virtual Check-ins Instead of Too Many Attendees
Most meetings have too many attendees than needed. Defining key stakeholders and starting with them helps you limit the meeting size effectively. Then including essential consultants may support decision-making. However, saving them for another meeting or reaching out through a virtual check-in would be a much better alternative for anyone present as an advisor upon marginal matters.
A virtual check-in is typically a brief, informal interaction focused on quickly touching base. Often used to update on progress, address immediate concerns, or provide quick feedback, virtual check-ins are usually shorter and may not follow a formal agenda. Virtual meetings, on the other hand, are intended for more in-depth discussions, decision-making, and collaborative work, involving multiple participants and covering broader topics.
Scheduling virtual check-ins is sometimes better than holding a full hybrid meeting, as they are more efficient for quick updates and immediate feedback. Best practices for scheduling and conducting virtual check-ins include keeping them short, having a clear purpose, and ensuring they occur regularly to maintain connection and alignment.
For instance, using video conferencing for a virtual check-in can be effective for a quick face-to-face catch-up with a remote team member, allowing them to receive more personal engagement and immediate clarification of any pressing issues. AVer’s extensive selection of video conferencing cameras like the CAM130 or the CAM520 Pro3 can ensure that different devices and meeting spaces are accommodated no matter a large meeting or 1-on-1 check-in.
5. Encourage Collaboration and Leadership
You've booked a room, and everyone's shown up. But this doesn't mean participation is there in the meeting. Encouraging team members to take on leadership roles as well as establishing a collaborative spirit is a sure-fire way to get your meeting moving along.
Leaders in a conventional meeting imply monologue taking up much of the session, which is essentially against the very purpose of a meeting — communication and contribution.
Challenging the attendees to lead the discussion is an excellent way to spur engagement and ensure everyone stays focused during the session. Naturally, one will commit more time and effort in preparation when assigned to deliver a presentation. As a meeting rotates its host among all participants, each one is given an opportunity to grow.
Yet it’s just as important to build a collaborative mindset in a hybrid meeting. Attendees should foster open communication and idea-sharing amongst each other, regardless of their location. This approach encourages everyone to contribute, leading to more nuanced perspectives and innovative solutions.
For example, starting the meeting with an icebreaker or using online tools like virtual whiteboards to brainstorm and contribute ideas can help build rapport and ease the team into collaboration. Another way is to assign rotating roles to colleagues such as facilitator, note-taker, and timekeeper to ensure active engagement from everyone.
Some hybrid meetings also incorporate breakout rooms for smaller group discussions which can make for more focused and interactive idea-sharing before bringing ideas back to the larger group. Either way, having strategies in place to ensure all team members get involved both in a collective fashion and in a leadership capacity will make your next hybrid meeting much more productive in the long run.
6. Have it virtually, not face-to-face
Businesses are reconsidering traveling policies and embracing virtual meetings in a world more used to remote working. As digital tools continue to evolve, more methodologies and efficient ways will emerge for effective collaboration.
You may try having short online meetings instead of lengthy weekly gatherings. For example, setting aside 5 mins at the end so everyone can recap the action plans or additional questions or concerns. This highly condensed period helps you adapt to a more agile meeting, shifting from conversation to impactful decisions.
Another key here is to have the right tools that meet the goals and types of communication your particular business needs. Experts at AVer have developed video conferencing tailored to different contexts and sizes of meeting to enhance engagement and productivity. So, whether your meetings are attended by 3, 10, or more than 20, there will be an AVer solution for you.
Hybrid productivity is the way
Don’t let a glut of meetings that drag on and on be your reality. Employing life-changing techniques like setting a firm agenda, using collaboration tools, scheduling virtual check-ins and fostering leadership roles will elevate your next hybrid meeting experience.
Follow the tips above to reap all the benefits for your next meeting and check out how AVer Solutions can help kick-start your hybrid work environment.