How to run a remote meeting like the leader you are

Article originally published on June 16, 2020

Whether remote working lasts for a month, a year, or forever, we can’t afford to wait to make our remote interactions as engaging as possible.

“Video calls will never replace face-to-face interaction.”

“This is just a stop-gap solution until we can meet in person.”

“Not another remote meeting.”

Sound familiar?

For many leaders and their employees, the thought of hopping on yet another video call can result in a chorus of groans. 

As social distancing in our workplaces continues, there is a lot of debate about what the future of work will look like when the pandemic passes. Fans of traditional office spaces insist that remote work will never replace the trust building and coincidental connections that come with face-to-face interaction. For some organizations, remote meetings have become something teams have to endure until a time when they can reconvene over a table filled with coffee and muffins.

Three months into the North American COVID-19 pandemic we need to come to an understanding that traditional boardroom or open space meetings are not a choice that is available to many of us – we must look to new technologies to build empowered, engaged workforces while at the same time keeping them safe. If remote work continues for a month, for sixth months, for a year or – for up to 30 per cent of the work force – forever, leaders simply cannot afford to wait until in things go back to the way they were.

There is still hope for remote meetings, if we are intentional and leverage these interactions to their full potential. We can’t expect to log on as leaders and trust that everything will work out. For many of us this is a new way of doing business that requires some forethought.

While hosting engaging remote meetings takes more work upfront, the results are well worth it. Here is some feedback I’ve received from participants in the remote workshops I’ve hosted where careful, intentional pre-planning were involved:

“That was a wonderful experience today.”

“You ran a great meeting today. I’ve been on some wildly interesting remote meetings but today was by far the best.”

Whether you are motivating and inspiring a team or impressing your clients – or both – here is a six step framework to help you receive the same kind of feedback. 

Set objectives and communicate them

Why are you calling a meeting?

While the answer might be obvious to you, don’t assume it will obvious to those you invite. Particularly now, as a large proportion of the workforce is isolated in their homes, the chances they can connect the dots and figure things out on their own are limited. 

Spell out why you are having the meeting and what you hope to accomplish. Be as clear and specific as you can. In this era of uncertainty, vague meeting titles can cause unnecessary anxiety or unproductive speculation. Know your why for each and every meeting you organize and make sure others know it too.

This might seem like extra effort however the benefits of pre-planning are well worth it. Meetings that are hosted with intention stand a greater chance of getting desired results. Or, after giving it some further thought you might find that a meeting isn’t necessary after all.

Understand your options

If your organization hasn’t onboarded a remote meeting platform of choice, research the various solutions that are available to you paying close attention to the cost and features. Read online reviews to make sure the user experience is positive.

If your organization has already designated a specific platform, make sure you are familiar with the various features. Depending on which platforms you choose, you have the option of hosting meetings or delivering presentations to large groups through webinars. Some platforms offer the ability to organize large groups into breakout rooms, launch in-meeting polls and features to keep the mood light such as non-verbal feedback. Where it’s appropriate and you’re looking to inject some fun into your meetings, some platforms have customizable backgrounds or in-app games. Don’t forget to pay attention to security features, particularly if your meetings involve sensitive or proprietary information.

Design a custom-made experience

Once you have outlined your objectives and have an in-depth understanding of your platform and its features, put some careful thought into the experience for those who have been invited to participate in your remote meeting.

First, who needs to be involved and what value do they bring? How can you make sure they feel comfortable sharing perspectives and expertise? If you need to understand the collective views of the group, in meeting polls might be an efficient way to discover the groups viewpoints. If there are many participants, individuals may feel more comfortable in smaller virtual break-out rooms. 

Also consider the digital literacy of your participants. Are they a group that is less comfortable with technology? If so, make sure the meeting technology and format are as straightforward as possible so they don’t disengage. Are they a tech-savvy group? If so, build trust and credibility by demonstrating you understand what features will work best, and encouraging them to use them in new ways. 

Finally, consider if there are any reference materials that would be helpful to review in advance of the meeting. Select only those readings that are most relevant to your meeting objectives and distribute well in advance, so participants have ample opportunity to review.

Appearances count

For some readers, this step is going to sound vain and unnecessary. You have real work to do, so why waste time worrying about what you look like on screen?

If you spent any time getting ready before you went to your traditional office job in the morning, you understand that looking professional is important. The same goes for remote meetings.

Simple tricks will go a long way in showing your meeting participants that you know what you’re doing. First and foremost, make sure your webcam is at eye level. Whether your webcam is integrated with your PC or laptop, or a standalone external device, prop it up on a box or stack of books so it is positioned level with your face. Skip this step and you will be looking down at your camera, which makes participants feel like you are looking down at them. This also prevents your nostrils from unintentionally becoming the primary focus of the meeting.

Lighting is also key. Position a light source – preferably a diffused natural light source - directly behind your webcam so it is lighting your face. Watch for shadows that make you look more tired than you are, otherwise you will be conveying fatigue to your participants. If suboptimal lighting is unavoidable in your workspace, some platforms have a function that will allow you to enhance your appearance to compensate. 

Look behind you and assess your background. Does it look professional? Are there elements that will distract from your objectives and messages? If your at-home workspace is a bedroom, laundry room, or unfinished basement you may consider investing in a pull up banner to block what’s behind you, particularly if you are meeting with external clients. If a child or pet pop into view unexpectedly, don’t sweat it – it demonstrates you are human and may inject some welcome levity. Remember that everyone is navigating this new way of working along with you.

During the meeting

Studies have demonstrated that between 70 per cent and 93 per cent of communication is non-verbal, and this is just as true for video calls as it is for in-person meetings. Smile and, as much as you can, make eye contact. Try to get used to looking directly into your webcam so every participant will feel like you are engaging directly with them. Make sure you have enough space around you to gesture and use body language when it feels natural to you.

Also pay attention to the body languages of others to gain real-time feedback during your meeting.  Are they smiling? Do they seem engaged? If not, and you can’t figure out why, the next step is particularly important.

Seek feedback

When the meeting is over, ask participants what they thought of the meeting and what ideas they might have for improving future meetings. Perhaps there was an echo on your end of the meeting that might prompt you to consider a higher end microphone for next time. Maybe participants need more time to warm up before getting to business and a virtual ice breaker would add value. It could be that the time of the meeting was problematic for work or work-life balance. Treat any feedback your participants provide like gold and make improvements that enhance the experience and demonstrate that you are listening.

Let's acknowledge that remote meetings are our greatest opportunity to lead our business and engage our teams during COVID-19 and it's incumbent on us as leaders to leverage this opportunity to its full potential. Every small improvement counts, and a little upfront planning will tell those participating that you value their ideas and their time.