Make the Most of your Virtual Meetings
Virtual meetings are nothing new, but with the social distancing restrictions in place because of COVID-19, they’re taking center stage. And as the government puts further policy in place to keep us safe, we may remain virtual for some time to come.
Of course, once we’re free to return to normal operations, how much will we? According to a recent market research report, the virtual event market is expected to grow from $14 billion to $18 billion from 2018 to 2023. Taking it a step further, analyst firm Gartner predicts that remote work will become so prevalent, that only 25% of enterprise meetings will take place in person - down from 60%.
We can’t concretely predict how our current circumstances will shape society in the long run, but it may have even greater and longer-lasting implications on the workforce than we expected. As remote working increases, and companies look to shave costs, become more eco-friendly and expand their staff geographically, virtual meetings may no longer be a substitute, but the norm.
At Proxfinity, we understand that companies need help to address that reality now, and likely, continually moving forward. At the core of good business, it’s not necessarily about the environment meant to foster connection, it’s making sure that we continue to connect - period. As we’re modifying our predictive analytics platform to better serve organizations who need help with relationship building across their digital ecosystem, we wanted to offer our advice for how to make the most out of virtual meetings.
Connection is hard, particularly when a screen creates separation, so here are our helpful tips for making the most out of your virtual meetings.
Employ Video
Videoconferencing tools have evolved significantly over the years, and nearly every computer or phone has a camera attached - so companies should take advantage. Forgo the audio-only conference bridge and have participants join via video if possible. Having a visual element to your meeting will make it more personal, allowing people to put faces to voices, read body language and pick up on nonverbal cues. With video, participants can read facial expressions, make eye contact and even note someone’s posture or dress as reflections of their personality and tone. And with us all sequestered at home, it’s a helpful look into one another’s personal life to build a more human connection - whether it’s the unique artwork they have hanging in the background, or a surprise cameo from their beloved pet. It’s these small things that take someone from a participant, to a person.
Promote Personality Over Characteristics
Before the meeting, collect interesting talking points about the participants. Maybe it’s a surprising place they’ve traveled, or the hobby they are currently enjoying to pass time while sheltered at home - it provides a fun way for people to relate to one another. These descriptions could serve as participant bios, and give everyone something to relate to. Especially with meetings of people who haven’t met or don’t know one another very well, it’s a small way to encourage authentic conversation. At Proxfinity, we can help companies issue surveys and aggregate results in advance so people can learn about one another ahead of time, and flag areas of interest and commonalities to discuss.
Increase Engagement
It can be hard to keep a captive audience when that audience is stuck behind computer screens. One way to combat wandering attention is to make the experience more interactive so participants stay engaged. Allowing room for real-time polls, live chats and Q&A sessions will take participants from listening on the sidelines, to getting involved.
Our workplaces are changing rapidly, so we want to do our small part to take what often feels uncomfortable, and make it more natural and manageable. With the technology we have today, we can use it to help support workplace culture, versus hurt it. Stay tuned to hear more from our team about how we can operate our best in a digital environment.
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