Conducting Group Meetings on Zoom

I belong to various groups that are accustomed to meeting face-to-face on a regular basis: Provisors, Vistage, etc. As we all adapt to the "new normal" of taking responsible precautions to slow the spread of this coronavirus, these group meetings are increasingly being held online.

This past Friday my Provisors group, which normally meets face to face in Oakland, met online for the first time. I would say the meeting went very well and in some ways even better than an in-person meeting. We already have a strong group bond from having met in person so often, and I think it was great to visit with members in their natural environment for once--at home in their kitchens, in their offices, etc. It brought a new personal element to our experience of each other.

Many groups and group leaders are looking for best practices on how to adapt their meetings to an online format. There are a lot of great guides out there but I thought I might offer my perspective on some finer points which can help the group leader inexperienced with online meeting facilitation to present a "best in class" experience for their guests.

The subjects I will cover in this article:

• General Audio
• General Video
• Schedule
• Facilitator specific

General Audio

It's possible to join an online meeting without video, but there's little point in joining without audio so I will address that first. For those new to web conferencing the most important point is this: please take care to join the meeting using only one audio connection. As you will quickly discover, having both a phone and computer audio connected in the same room can lead to a distracting echo--in the worst cases this feedback can bring a meeting to a halt until it is resolved.

Personally my preference is always to join an online meeting via phone audio. The VoIP audio options included with online tools are quite good but typically not quite as reliable as joining by phone. Especially if I am joining the meeting from a new environment or coworking space, I have no knowledge of the available bandwidth or what else might be happening nearby that could potentially interfere with a VoIP audio connection. In our new world of working from home, what happens if my teenager in the next room suddenly decides to download the entire contents of the Internet while I am hosting what is supposed to be an important meeting?! This is why I will choose the phone instead of VoIP if I have the option.

Now I'm not going to hold the phone to my head the entire time so that either means using a high quality speakerphone if the environment permits, or using a headset. For those of us working from home these days a speakerphone (or using computer audio with the built-in mike) is probably not the best option since there may be children, pets or other household members creating noise in the background.

For a headset I have different recommendations depending upon the format of the meeting. For an all-day Vistage meeting for instance, a wireless headset isn't going to cut it since the battery will likely fail at some point. In-ear headsets designed for periodic wear or short phone conversations become uncomfortable if worn for any length of time. So a corded headset with an external earpiece is the best choice.

The only drawback of the corded over-the-ear headset is that when appearing on camera these practical features can be slightly distracting when meeting with clients or prospects--if you would rather present a more polished appearance (for instance in an online sales meeting with a new prospective client) then I would recommend use of an external speakerphone or a behind-the-head style such as the Plantronics Savi series.

General Video

Two comments here--camera position and lighting. If you are using the camera built in to your laptop I recommend elevating the laptop by placing it on a riser of some kind. At my office I use a desktop monitor stand for this purpose but even a cardboard box will work--anything that raises the camera to eye level or slightly higher. Because if the laptop is resting on your lap, a desk or table top, the angle may be less optimal. Or your fellow meeting participants may even end up looking up your nose the entire time!

Another option is to use an external webcam that can be positioned at an appropriate height, resting it on the edge of a desktop monitor, shelf or even a small tripod on the desk.

For your average meeting participant lighting is not as much of a concern--just make sure you're not backlit and you're probably fine. But for someone who wants to present at their best and will be spending more time on camera--a group leader or facilitator, or a sales professional for instance--lighting becomes more important. In the past I've used a simple Ikea desk light to provide some additional illumination on my face and while it looked odd to anyone in the same room, my appearance on camera was measurably improved. These days I use an inexpensive USB ring light for this purpose. I would recommend some kind of light for any group leader or facilitator who wants to present professionally on camera in a Zoom or similar type of meeting.

For the general participant a WiFi connection will probably be adequate for a reasonable video connection. But for the highest quality experience I always recommend connecting your computer to a wired Internet connection if possible. This significantly reduces the risk of interference, dropped packets etc. that can reduce video quality. I would consider this to be a "best practice" for a group leader or meeting facilitator.

Schedule

For a group meeting that may include participants new to web conferencing I would always recommend including a pre-meeting warm up to help them work through any technical issues. For instance if your group meeting is officially starting at 7:30, open up the connection starting at 7 AM so people can call in and test their equipment, etc.

Facilitator Specific

If you are a group leader responsible for faciliting the meeting I recommend you arrange to have a second person in the role of "moderator" to help manage the room. Their job will include watching for comments in the group chat, for raised hands, muting noisy participants, etc. This should be a best practice for any group meeting with more than a few people on the cal.

Emphasizing to participants in advance that they should only connect with one audio channel will help to reduce echo or feedback. A certain amount of that is going to be unavoidable, but to the extent that it can be brought to people's attention that will help to minimize disruption in the meeting. The moderator should be prepared to identify a guest who is generating this kind of feedback and mute them immediately (or just hit the "mute all") button.

It may go without saying but starting early should always be a best practice for any group leaders or speakers, when I am presenting to prospects or clients I always set up well in advance of the meeting time just to make sure there are no unforeseen technical issues! Any time you are planning on using new equipment test it out well in advance, say the day before.

Whoever sends the Zoom invite can control certain options in advance of scheduling the meeting, such as having participants join the meeting with video and audio on by default--I think it would be important to have those off by default.

Summary

This article isn't intended to be an exhaustive resource for those who run webinars or present online, but I hope it has some value for the uninitiated group leader thrust into the role of facilitating meetings that were previously conducted face to face. Plan a bit in advance and if you have a need or desire to present professionally in a web meeting, give some thought to your audio and video connection options to minimize technical issues and environmental distractions.

Here's wishing you the best and if you have other suggestions for conducting successful online meetings please share your comments!