What are the most common mistakes new leaders make when leading virtual meetings?

Lack of preparation: Failing to prepare adequately for a virtual meeting can lead to disorganized discussions, unclear objectives, and wasted time. New leaders should set clear goals, create an agenda, and gather any necessary materials or information before the meeting. Neglecting technology setup: Technical difficulties can be a major hindrance to a productive virtual meeting. New leaders may overlook the need to test their audio, video, and screen-sharing capabilities prior to the meeting. It is essential to ensure that everyone can join the meeting smoothly and that the necessary tools and platforms are functioning properly. Poor communication and engagement: Virtual meetings can easily become one-way information sharing sessions

Leading virtual meetings effectively is essential in today's era of hybrid, remote work environments, and new leaders may encounter various challenges. Here are some common mistakes, should be easily avoided for effective communications, and collaboration between teams - -- Running over the scheduled meeting time, disrupting participants schedules - Stick to the allotted time and prepare the agenda well before. -- Including too many agenda items, resulting in rushed discussions - Prioritize agenda items and limit the number of topics to ensure a productive and focused discussion. -- Delivering an unengaging presentation. -- Failing to summarize key points, action items, and deadlines after the meeting as part of MOM.

New leaders often slip in virtual meetings by not setting a clear agenda or failing to engage attendees actively. Overlooking the importance of a crisp, time-bound plan leads to meandering sessions that lose focus. Neglecting to check in with each participant can result in missed insights. A critical error is not mastering the tech tools at hand, which can undercut the meeting's flow and impact.

Ultimately, the lack of clarity about the purpose of the meeting, a fuzzy agenda, and lack of preparation are the biggest meeting killers. Otherwise, the same rules apply for virtual meetings as for those in person: 1. Have a clear goal you want to achieve with the meeting. 2. Invite the right participants. 3. Establish a clear agenda so everyone can prepare. 4. Time-constrain the meeting. 5. Prepare well before the meeting. 6. Keep the meeting focused. 7. Keep a list of action items. 8. Follow up.

Far too, often we think of communication is the way that we communicate ideas. When really l, communication is also a form of listening. I have found that new leaders are far too eager to speak in a virtual setting, some of it’s the anxiousness of a zoom meeting, and some of it’s just the newness of the role. However, if we want to improve leadership, especially in a remote world, we must listen first, and speak last.

In my experience, the only thing worse than being stuck on a virtual meeting is being stuck listening to a monologue in that meeting. Leaders should treat virtual meetings with the same level of buy-in that in person meetings carry. Build time (and prompts!!) for questions. Plan ahead and give other leaders a portion of the meeting to offer their insights. Send an agenda out before the meeting and encourage the team to come up with questions and then be sure to offer them the time to ask those questions. Follow the meeting up with a quick snapshot of the information covered and be intentional about learning what the rest of the team learned or wish they had learned from the meeting.

From an industrial-organizational perspective, follow-up after virtual meetings is essential for accountability, continuity, and progress. It ensures that action items are completed, maintains project continuity, tracks progress, and promotes clear communication. Recognizing achievements boosts motivation, and it serves as valuable documentation for future reference. Effective follow-up is a crucial component of leadership and team management in industrial-organizational psychology.

One common mistake new leaders make in virtual meetings is neglecting to build trust. Trust can be harder to establish in virtual settings due to limited interaction. To foster trust, leaders should be transparent, reliable, respectful, inclusive, and authentic. Building trust enhances team performance and morale in virtual meetings.

In my observation, new leaders often make common mistakes when leading virtual meetings, especially when managing a diverse team of old-time employees, Gen Z, and Millennials. One prevalent error is not setting clear objectives and an agenda for the meeting, leading to confusion and inefficiency. They may also overlook the importance of engaging all team members by allowing everyone to participate and share their ideas. Additionally, failing to use technology effectively, such as screen sharing or chat features, can hinder collaboration. Lastly, new leaders may disregard the need for regular check-ins and follow-ups, which are essential for building trust and ensuring everyone remains on the same page in a virtual work environment.

A very common mistake that we see when it comes to running effective virtual meetings is not having the right participants present in the meeting. In your virtual meetings, if any participant has the time and empty space to spend the meeting answering emails, checking slack, etc- they either shouldn't have been in the meeting or their time wasn't well managed in the meeting. Take a look at your agenda and ask: 1. Who needs this information? 2. Who needs to contribute to this decision? 3. Whose advice/opinion do I really need in this conversation? 4. Will participants be doing something other than listening and being invited to share thoughts?