The Realities of Remote Meetings...

In a recent post I asked for input about how people are coping (or not) with the move to remote working. It turns out that while people were reluctant to post comments publicly, they had plenty to share privately. While there are a lot of articles and posts around at the moment, many by people who have worked remotely for a long time and have a lot of good advice to give, it's also worth remembering that some of their advice may not be relevant to everyone at the moment - anyone who has been asked to work from home at short notice may be sharing space and internet access with their families.

One common theme that emerged was about meetings. Below are some of the key challenges that people raised, along with some ideas as to how to address them. Some are specific to how we're working now rather than general best practices for video-conferencing from home.

1. Do we really need another meeting? This feeling doesn't seem to have changed. Those who hoped that the shift to working from home might lead to non-critical issues being addressed via email instead of meetings have been disappointed. In fact, some people feel that things previously dealt with via email have turned into meetings.
2. Why can't we start meetings on time? This is generating a lot of discussion, as people feel that without commuting time, or the need to rush from one meeting room to another, we should all manage to be on time. However, working from home doesn't alleviate the need for breaks and transition time. Additionally, there are cultural issues around both arriving late and leaving early when it comes to meetings, so we need to start to think about building virtual 'travel time' into our schedules. While I know from experience that Gartner analysts are adept at managing their back-to-back 30-minute client calls, finishing one call while getting started on the next, this isn't the norm for most people. The larger the meeting the harder it is to manage, given the need for greetings and goodbyes. The general consensus seems to be that picking non-standard times to start meetings helps, as does setting up the meeting so that attendees are able to join before the host or assigning an alternate host - and this allows a little time for informal chat before the meeting starts.
3. Can we have an agenda please? People like to be able to prepare, and knowing what's up for discussion also means that the meeting can start on time as long as key people have arrived, or the running order be adjusted to take account of anyone missing. It may also allow people who are struggling to manage their diaries to attend just for the part of the meeting that's relevant. Record the meeting or take notes for those who can't attend - there is a split in terms of preferences here, but any recording that's shared should at least include a summary of any actions agreed upon, and send them out immediately.
4. Do we have to use video for conference calls? It isn't necessary to have video on all the time - remember people are working using domestic broadband, probably sharing with other family members (possibly over WiFi if they don't have a suitable space to connect with a cable), and there is generally a lot more traffic going through video conferencing systems at the moment, with teaching and exercise classes also moving online. I'm hearing from a lot of people that if the whole family are working, then things start to get slow. In some organisations, the convention is to start the the meeting with video on, and switch it off after introductions (when you mute) - it also prevents people from being self-conscious about their appearance or being distracted by their own or others' video. If you're using slides, there is no benefit to having video on as the focus should be on the slides. Think carefully about when you need it - don't just use it because it's there. As Richard Marshall says in this article for The Analyst Syndicate "Turn off the video if your connection gets choppy and your audio will be clear."

1. Make sure you can be heard. Think about audio quality and invest in a good speaker/microphone and/or headset. Built-in microphones in laptops and monitors tend not to be good quality and it's hard on your colleagues when you're fading in and out constantly. There are lots of posts on social media at the moment recommending various speakers and headsets.
2. Consider background noise. Use headsets when appropriate. While you're at home you don't necessarily need to worry about disturbing the person next to you, but that doesn't mean you don't need a headset. There are lots of stories about feedback from other speakers through microphones when people haven't muted, excessive background noise (and even those who have dedicated office space may suffer from this while the whole family is at home). Someone told me last week that they could hear their colleague's partner's meeting loud and clear during a call. There have also been numerous comments about how off-putting it is to hear toilets flush in the background during meetings...
3. Learn the art of muting. Even with a headset on, if you're not speaking, mute your microphone. Hearing you typing, thanking someone for a coffee, or talking to the dog, the cat, or yourself distracts from the presenter. Conversely, don't be afraid to ask others to go on mute if their sound is distracting you.
4. Use custom backgrounds or blur to avoid worrying about your clients or colleagues seeing too much of your home, or being distracted by what's happening behind or around you. While we're all sensitive to the fact that the way we're working at the moment isn't 'normal', we do need to protect our privacy (and that of our families) and to give ourselves the best chance of having a productive work environment.
5. Consider how best to share documents. Most conferencing tools give you the option to share your desktop/screen, an application or even a specific document. If you're leaving your messaging systems on during a meeting, make sure that you only share the application - or even the document if you have several open and don't want to risk sharing the wrong one.
6. Categorise your meetings based on content and participants so that you're prepared for those that need to be more formal, with closed doors and privacy (client meetings, internal meetings that involve changes to business strategy or making decisions about people or budgets, as well as anything that would be considered commercially sensitive) and can schedule them accordingly. For team meetings or creative sessions you may be happy to give your colleagues a glimpse into your private space, including the cat, dog or kids, but there will be times when it's not appropriate, and you need to have a plan for working around it.