You're struggling to keep your team engaged in virtual meetings. What can you do to improve collaboration?

You can share your ideas and use video calls for a personal touch. You can edit things together in real-time using Google Workspace or Microsoft 365. Breaking long meetings into shorter ones and adding fun elements like polls might keep everyone more engaged. Let's take turns leading to ensure everyone participates. Planning some team activities for stronger connections could be great, and you can ask for feedback to make your meetings even better.

Attending a meeting without a agenda or grappling with a poorly articulated one is truly a disheartening ordeal. The absence of a clear roadmap leaves participants in the dark about the meeting's purpose, leaving them adrift without a defined role. Consequently, they're left with the unenviable choice of disengagement or investing precious time decoding the meeting's intent. Providing a well-structured agenda not only empowers colleagues to comprehend their contributions but also fosters active participation. In doing so, you grant your team the opportunity to shine in their respective roles. An added perk is the likelihood of redirecting discussions to the right person, amplifying the prospects of a fruitful meeting.

Eu compreendo que as reuni?es virtuais devam ser de caráter objetiva, pontual e que n?o passem de 1,30 hora. O papel do facilitador é importante, trazendo clareza na pauta e na comunica??o. As dinamicas com o grupo s?o muito bem vindas, desde que consiga manter o grupo todo participando do processo e que suas considera??es sejam valorizadas. Ao final da reuni?o, solicitar para que cada membro do grupo deixe sua contribui??o sobre o desfecho da reuni?o, dando a oportunidade da fala.

For me, the basic meeting etiquette works. 1.- Have an agenda 2.- Have a clear goal 3.- Provide enough information before the call so that people come prepared. 4.- Keep it short (do not waste time). 5.- If the topic has several sub-topics, separate. Keep people focused in 1 target at time. Tools: Anything that works.

Start with the intent of what you want to achieve. It's more than goals and agenda, it's also guardrails, parking lots and outcomes. This work might actually make you realize what can be async so real video time can be used more effectively.

Sometimes, you’ve got to get away from the screen. Some of the most productive meetings I’ve had are spent on walks with the other person, or at a coffee shop away from the office. Changing it up and being creative helps others feel more engaged vs attending the 3rd meeting in a row in a stale stinky conference room.

I've found that preparation is key. Here’s a strategy that works for me. Prepare reading materials in advance. This gives everyone, especially the analytical and less vocal members of the team, the time they need to digest information and formulate questions. It improves inclusivity and ensures all voices are heard.

Como director de un laboratorio clínico, encuentro fascinante la variedad de herramientas disponibles para reuniones virtuales, aunque en nuestro enfoque tradicional no las utilicemos. Sin embargo, reconozco la importancia de adaptarse a las necesidades y familiaridad del equipo. La elección de las plataformas adecuadas es esencial, y mi experiencia en el ámbito clínico resalta la necesidad de considerar la accesibilidad y probar estas herramientas previamente. En nuestro laboratorio, priorizamos la eficacia de las reuniones presenciales, pero estoy entusiasmado por aprender y compartir experiencias en este cambiante entorno virtual. #Colaboración #Bioquímica #LaboratorioClínico

Existem diversas ferramentas. O ideal é usar uma ferramenta intuitiva e que todos conhe?am. Uma plataforma fácil de acessar e que todos possam se reunir de forma rápida. Aqui temos que evitar que fa?am muitos cliques ou muitos passos para acessar a reuni?o. Hoje, existem diversos tipos de ferramentas. Vale uma conversa com o time para entender a que melhor se adequa a todos.

Keeping people interested, at least, in the experience I had during the pandemic, meant passing on messages in 15 minutes to 20 minutes, dividing people into different virtual rooms to work on the subject presented or discussed at the beginning of the virtual meeting. This way it became more productive than face-to-face meetings, where people are often just "present", the rest are outside or doing other things.

In my experience, always the same participate and interact. Many others remain silent. In order to avoid that, direct questions asking opinions of those who usually remain silent through the whole meeting. Another thing that works is to ask for written questions or comments on the chat for those that are shy to show themselves. Other thing that I require is that everybody has to have the camera on as a show of respect to the rest of the participants.

One thing I've found helpful is that team members may arrive in the call distracted (the modern world is a busy place with many things demanding our attention). Try a simple start off exercise- after welcoming the team into the call, go around the virtual "table" asking for people to share one word on how they are arriving. This gives people the chance to be heard, to ground and connect at a deeper level (don't respond to their comments). You may receive words like excited, curious, tired that help you understand how the team are and mean you can adjust your style as the team leader to compensate. You may try the same at the end of the call after acknowledging the work that's been done.

Polls and Q&A segments are a great way to engage the team during the meeting, as are sessions for unified decision making. The most important things is to divide the topics and even sessions into days if possible to allow for shorter meetings with nore focus and interaction. Any meetings that are envisioned as being delivered as a presentation or a one person interlocutor ordeal should be recorded for staff as there is no point in doing it live and scheduling.

In my experience, talking less and asking probing questions is a good way to encouragement. Also setting ground rules such as having cameras on and closing out screens and email to avoid distraction is important. Similar to live interactions, being present & actively listening, is the best way to be heard, and feel seen and understood.

To create a more dynamic and participatory virtual meeting environment. First is to Lead by example- Stay engaged yourself, maintain eye contact, and demonstrate active listening to encourage participation from others and second Be inclusive Ensure that everyone has a chance to contribute by actively inviting quieter participants to share their thoughts and ideas.

In virtual meetings, embracing diversity and inclusion is vital. Leveraging your experience, tackle challenges arising from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and locations. Overcome language barriers with clear communication and translation options. Accommodate different time zones to ensure participation. Uphold common norms and celebrate diversity. Seek feedback from your team to continuously improve inclusivity. By addressing these aspects, you can foster a respectful and inclusive virtual meeting environment.

Respecting diversity and inclusion in virtual meetings is crucial, particularly in a team with varied backgrounds and cultures. To ensure an inclusive environment, be mindful of language barriers by using simple, clear language and offering translations or subtitles if needed. Accommodate different time zones when scheduling meetings, so all team members can participate comfortably. Establish common meeting norms and rules that respect all cultures. Celebrate the diversity within your team by acknowledging cultural holidays or milestones. Regularly seek feedback from team members on how to enhance inclusivity in your meetings. By proactively addressing these aspects, you create a respectful space that values unique perspectives.

In remote interactions with the team, video calling is helpful for improved engagement of people. Other things we can exercise are, a clear point of agenda, active moderator, concise and time boxed meetings. Educating responsibilities while remote working like improving home office space, isolation.

Considero crucial abordar los desafíos de diversidad e inclusión en las reuniones virtuales. La diversidad es un valor fundamental en cualquier equipo. En algunos encuentros con colegas de ámbito internacional enfrentamos obstáculos como diferentes zonas horarias. Adoptamos prácticas como lenguaje claro y adaptación de horarios, pero siempre estamos buscando maneras de mejorar.

Recognize and respect the diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and communication styles within your team, fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels heard and valued. Be mindful of language, cultural nuances, and time zones to ensure equitable participation and engagement in virtual meetings. #diversity #inclusion #value #culture

First, make sure the meeting is truly needed and ads value. Avoid having a a meeting that could have been an email. Have an agenda and stick to it. If a topic spins off, reel it in and suggest a side bar post meeting or separate meeting. If a participant speaking becomes a monologue, reel them in elegantly. Or if a comment turn into brain vomit, also elegantly reel them back on topic. If we want to keep participants engaged, we must be respectful of everyone’s time. This can later become a teachable moment for story telling. Adhere to the time slot as much as possible. Ensure all parties are relevant and should contribute. If not 1) remove people who don’t need to be there and 2) again if it’s a monologue send an email.

Effective follow-up and follow-through are essential to ensure the productivity of virtual meetings. After the meeting concludes, promptly send a summary highlighting the key points, decisions made, and action items. Assign tasks and set clear deadlines for completion, tracking progress through tools like email, chat, or project management software. This ensures everyone understands their responsibilities and the next steps. To continuously improve the meeting experience, seek feedback from participants. You can use brief surveys or direct feedback to gauge the meeting's effectiveness and identify areas for enhancement.

Cerrar adecuadamente las reuniones virtuales es esencial. Después de cada encuentro en nuestro laboratorio clínico, resumo las decisiones, asigno tareas y establezco plazos utilizando herramientas de gestión de proyectos. Esta práctica garantiza una ejecución eficiente y un seguimiento efectivo. ?Cuáles son tus estrategias preferidas para el seguimiento post-reunión y la mejora continua en tu entorno de trabajo?

Algo que he visto que funciona bastante bien para dar seguimientos en cuanto al objetivo de logro de metas, es dar el rol de líder a un miembro del equipo, quien se pueda encargar de ir animando al equipo, comunicando avances y haciendo peque?os recordatorios de los seguimientos plasmados en la reunión previa. Y esto ayuda a que en reuniones posteriores, este líder nos pueda hablar sobre la experiencia y el resumen de los avances que lograron como equipo. Y por supuesto, estos roles deben ir cambiando entre cada reunión. Esto les dará empowerment a todos los miembros y sentirán que son indispensables para el equipo. Ahora, si es reunión para diferente objetivo, siempre es bueno utilizar un método para ver el seguimiento en tiempo real.

In my opinion, you need the summarize the key points in Minutes and share it with team members vs email, chat and other collaboration software. The Minutes should include 3 main sections:1) Quick summary of topics discussed. 2) Action items including responsibilities for each team members. 3)Next steps and time lines for monitoring the progress and tasks. This will provide opportunities for creating effective processe for effective meeting and follow up.

O que fa?o é criar oportunidades para encontros presenciais, como os levantamentos em campo, feiras e workshops, treinamentis e celebra??es. S?o momentos onde os recém contratados encontram os veteranos, criam vínculos que s?o mantidos e ajudam no full home-office.

Give the opportunity of hosting and presenting to different people on a rotation basis that helps the team understand the perspective of the person on the other side. This has often worked for me in a disconnected team.

Para mantener a su equipo involucrado en reuniones virtuales, igual que en las presenciales, hay un punto muy importante: no se trata de luchar, se trata de un trabajo previo de involucración. ?Qué se puede hacer para mejorar la colaboración? Partir de temas en los que el equipo sepa de antemano el porqué y el para qué y que tengan claros sus beneficios. En el caso de virtuales es muy importante que todos tengan el nivel tecnológico de la plataforma que se va a usar, eso genera seguridad, y si hay que empezar por las más "usadas" que sean esas, el canal no debe ser un impedimento. También recomiendo el hacer reuniones con pocas personas y afines para luego ir agrandando el círculo.

Something really helped me when everone isn't feeling engaged we'll need to use such words like, Hey What do you think?, any suggestations?, is it gonna help? , what worked for you. The moment we start using these words its going to shift their focus back to the meetings. Best part is if you include a name.For example - Hey Rohan!! What do you think, changing the schedule is going to help? everybody else will be more focused.

Nowadays, technology offers a good number of free digital tools that allow incorporating collaborative activities into virtual meetings. Additionally, games and virtual environments resembling physical workplaces can be found. It's crucial to immerse oneself in all available tools, invest time in getting to know them, and apply them. This requires a leader willing to unlearn and understand that the virtual world has different rhythms, dynamics, and management approaches.