You are organizing a teleconference, and surprisingly it doesn’t start on time, people cannot dial in, they don’t distinguish “leader code” from “participant code”, a few people know the objectives, and certainly no one knows who is really on the line
Sounds familiar?
If not, just look at the movie below showing how, in most cases, teleconferences look like, and what happens from different points of view…
In teleconferences, just like in regular meetings there are rules, which can save both time and effort if you stick to them:
- Rule # 1 – “No agenda – no teleconference” – if you are an organizer of teleconference communicate key objectives and expectations to the participants before the virtual meeting . If you are participant and you don’t see clear agenda – just don’t be shy to ask what is the point of doing it.
- Rule #2 – “There is a difference between a leader and participant” – every time you join a teleconference you wonder who is on the line and whether you should or should not introduce yourself if the conference has already started. So let’s make it clear: always introduce yourself when you join the call, and if you are leader (formal role of person appointing the teleconference and sending the agenda), just tell the person who just has joined who is in the room. Do it every time someone new joins. It’s such a huge time saver compared to having n-people say “hi” one after another and introduce themselves to the person who’s just joined.
- Rule#3 – “No minutes – no teleconference“- just imagine somebody could not make it and didn’t join the teleconference you have splendidly planned. So what you are going to do to avoid numerous calls on what have happened during the teleconference in case it was missed by more than couple of participants? Just prepare a short summary with key things discussed, agreed upon , and next steps planned . Send it to all teleconference participants the same day the teleconference took place together with thank-you-note for participation, engagement and contribution of those who joined in.
What are your tips for making time at work efficient and meaningful?
Source: www.youtube.com
Dzida!