Importance of what you call a meeting or a sync-up!

Can you guess the common jargon used in day-to-day office/business transactions? It’s “Meetings”. Do you recognize this? Yes, even a small kid in this virtual world knows this phrase and mimic the sentence “Shh! I am in a meeting” ??

How do we run our meetings? Are they seen like 60 minutes of an unavoidable suffering, a place where ideas go to die? Or are they focused, targeted, and even (gasp!) useful?

I have used a lot of checklists over the years to help me streamline my meetings and make them as productive and painless as possible. It is safe to say that I have led some great meetings and some crappy meetings. Amazing learning experiences in either case.

Here is a question for you! Can you tell me if you keep getting this thought often?

Meetings are a total time suck! But, at the same time, there are situations when meetings are needed. To help you figure out those situations, below are some of the points as a quick guide on the importance of meetings, be it virtual or face-to-face

• Set up the meeting ahead of time.?Improvising looks good on a stage, but not in the world of work. Success is perseverance and hard work.
• Shorten the duration of the event.?It is recommended that the average length of a meeting be between 10 and 60 minutes to maintain the optimum level of concentration and interest of the attendees.

• Choose attendees well and define the roles.?Bringing department heads together by the system is not the most appropriate thing to do. Think about whom you need from each department, what it will bring, and define the main roles that will lead to the meeting, as well as the issues to be addressed.
• Prepare space & material.?If you plan to hold a physical meeting, make sure you have room availability and the necessary documentation. If it’s a virtual meeting, look for technical support and check connections before you start.

Shall we take a quick glance at Face-to-face meetings vs Virtual meetings??

Virtual, Face-To-Face meetings, yes we had a look. How about me bringing out the 6P's of any meeting i.e the meeting effectiveness in form of P's for your benefit?

1.?????Purpose –

• Why have this meeting?
• Is this meeting even necessary?
• Do we need decisions or actions as outcomes?

2.?????People –

• Who needs to be there?
• Is the invite list full of FYI’s or missing anyone?
• Are roles assigned accordingly?

3.?????Preparation –

• What pre-work is needed?
• Is there work that can be done offline?
• Are expectations clear?

4.?????Pace –

• When should we meet?
• Are we meeting too often or not enough?
• Can meetings be short?

5.?????Place –

• Where do we need to be?
• Is everything prepared?
• Are we using the right format for the meeting?

6.?????Process –

• How will it run effectively?
• Do we have a clear prioritized agenda?
• Has it been sent out?

After knowing the above, Urge you to never forget one thing about any meeting!

Let me now talk about one of the areas in which almost every organization is trying to improve on, and that is Switching on your videos during virtual meetings. Do you think it's a pain or no pain?

For the past 20 years, there has been a common complaint among meeting planners and conference organizers that went like this: "How can I get attendees to turn off their phones?" Today, there is a similar complaint that's a sign of this new era of remote work: "How can I get attendees to turn on their cameras?" But they are related issues.

In general, people should feel like they have a reason to be on camera and they want to do so, rather than simply being told they should do it. So, what are the practical steps to get meeting attendees to turn on their cameras in videoconferences?

Let’s skim through the below points which be of help to you.

1. Holds you accountable and focused

When your webcam is on, everyone can see what you’re up to (or at least focused on). This awareness keeps you actively present and in sync with what’s happening on the call. Your colleagues know you’re actively engaged, and, in turn, you’re more likely to be focused on the task at hand and what needs to be accomplished.

2. Creates better connections and engagement with your team

Online communications, such as email, text/chat messages are rife with the opportunity for misinterpretation. That’s especially true when busy colleagues and teammates shortcut their messaging with emojis and text lingo. Without a clear sense of what they mean, you may reach the wrong conclusion or perhaps you may not feel like a genuine conversation is taking place. However, seeing your team on camera encourages real conversations and interaction. It also minimizes misunderstandings. In turn, that visual connection builds trust and confidence that you will get your work done and your colleagues are there to help should you need it.

3. Offers a way to add more visuals and information to the meeting

Since everyone is working from home, turning on your webcam also creates opportunities for some fun “show and tell” sessions, where you can share more of your personal life including your pets, kids, or home. A little social interaction like this helps team members get to know each other and develop more appreciation for each other.

4. Minimizes any sense of isolation you may feel

Using a webcam allows for an environment that is closer to in-person connections than communication channels like phone, SMS, or instant messaging. Seeing those faces offers greater familiarity and reminds you of what it felt like when you were together.

5. Helps you read what others mean beyond their words

Facial expressions and other types of?body language speak volumes and help us decipher what others really mean. You lose significant context from those non-verbal cues by leaving your webcam off. Seeing what the other person is saying and how they say it clarifies meaning and reduces misunderstandings.

6. Motivates you to get dressed

While it’s nice to work in your pajamas sometimes – let’s be honest, we’ve all done it – over time, it could negatively impact your mindset and hinder productivity.

Meetings still according to you is still a waste of time?

The purpose of having a meeting is to encourage employees to communicate with each other and solicit input from their colleagues. When an entire team collaborates on an initiative, better solutions emerge — and companies become more aligned.

Winding up on the summarizing the 3 important tenets that can make any meeting productive:

1. Preach preparedness.?Set an agenda before each meeting, distribute it ahead of time, and ask team members to do their homework.

2. Set the rules.?Create clear ground rules for your virtual meetings and hold your team accountable to those standards.

3. Focus on the future.?Every meeting should conclude with an action plan. Team members should know what is expected of them between now and the next meeting.

Also, ask your team members to provide feedback on the meeting itself. Did they enjoy the meeting’s format and agenda? What could have been better? Their insights will illuminate issues and help you continuously improve your virtual meetings.

The COVID pandemic is not the time to cancel meetings. During this global crisis, they play an essential role in keeping your company connected and helping it turn ideas into action.

In a nutshell, make meetings more effective, wipe out unnecessary meetings and have fun listening to each others ideas. ??