Last year was tough, but we can’t ignore some of the positives that have come out of the dramatic changes in how we work together.

Take meetings, for instance. Gone are the long, laborious and loosely prepared on-site meetings. You know them – meetings that start late and overrun by an hour because everyone has an opinion and skips around the agenda with their own level of importance, ignoring (or getting frustrated by) those who aren’t engaged or contributing.

In its place, the virtual meeting has brought with it greater respect for structure and equal airtime. We are seeing increased levels of engagement, more ownership over the issue and clarity on who’s doing what by when. Thus team productivity is increasing and more is being achieved.

This description may not ring completely true to your current virtual meeting experience, but let us explain why we know it can by the end of 2021.

Firstly, let us take a look at some facts which have been collated by Microsoft through an internal sentiment survey:

• During 2020 we saw the frequency of meetings jump by 10%, translating to an extra three meetings a week (not more meetings we hear you say but wait, the nature of these meetings also changed as you dive deeper into the data)
• The duration of these meetings organically evolved. Meetings that were more than 1 hour reduced by 11% and meetings that were under 30 minutes increased by 22%
• One-to-one meetings increased by 18% and Covid safe social meet-ups and happy hours went up by an additional 10%

As we have been unable to just pop over to a colleagues’ desk for a chat, meet them in the kitchen to glean new ideas or bump into them around the water cooler, we are using virtual platforms more frequently to create regular connections and a fresher way of collaborating. This is building wider relationships and generating new ways of thinking. If these meetings are being run effectively, creativity and productivity will inevitably increase. 

Three Layers of Virtual Meetings

The way we see it, there are three layers which all work in a symbiotic way for people attending a virtual meeting.

Layer 1: Self

This layer helps us understand our responsibilities towards the meeting. Am I prepared? Is my head in the game and do I feel engaged? Have I stretched my legs or walked the dog and considered my physiological needs… There is nothing worse than needing a wee mid-meeting. What is my current bandwidth for taking on new information and making decisions during the meeting? Have I plugged my laptop in? What might I do if my internet connection starts to become unstable?

Layer 2: Social

If we don’t get layer 1 right, this is where it can all go a little wrong. Am I punctual? Have I closed down distractions like emails, messaging platforms and made loved ones aware of my schedule? Have I made time to build rapport at the start of a meeting and ask about others? Can I actively listen? Am I asking probing questions? What is my level of awareness of those who haven’t joined in? Do I know exactly what my actions are at the end of the meeting?

Layer 3: Purpose

As long as layers 1 and 2 have been met, the purpose is straightforward. A meeting always needs a purpose along with a clear agenda to ensure effective outcomes. Obtain clarity and follow a structure and your meeting will run smoothly.

Six Tips to Managing a Remote Team

So here goes, a six-point ‘how-to’ guide on managing a remote team meeting that will make 2021 virtually a dream come true!

A: Own it

Nominate a chair and make sure everyone over time gets to participate. This helps embed the process, create confidence in chairing meetings and respect for how important it is for everyone to sign-up to the agreed ways of working

B: Prep it

Establish the agenda and send it out with the invite asking for any additional comments to be made in advance. Prioritise the running order and be clear on expectations for the time you have.

C: Check-in

Help everyone become familiar with the importance of managing themselves, their emotions and their commitment to the meeting. Put some additional time to ask how people are and get a sense of where the energy might be.

D: Manage it

It is everyone’s responsibility to arrive prepared, focussed and ready to engage. Nonetheless, to help the meeting run smoothly, make sure everyone’s email is shut down, phones are away, and distractions are limited (accept that the Amazon delivery will always knock at the worst time and the friendly cat will always want to ‘present’ to the team across the keyboard).

E: Record it

The beauty of remote meetings is that, subject to which platform you are recording on, engaging commitment is simple. Here are some ideas…

• Press the record button on the whole meeting
• Circulate a transcript of the meeting
• Capture commitments as you go in the chatbox

F: Review it

At the end of the meeting go old school and request a summary overview from each team member. This may unveil some challenges, but that is better than a colleague spending time doing something that’s not been agreed.

Before the meeting closes get some feedback and ask how it has worked for everyone attending. Adjust future meetings accordingly. Once the meeting has closed, circulate a summary of the main actions and next steps. This creates clarity of understanding and increases accountability.

With all the above in mind, let us not forget that to be human is to be socially connected and this runs deeper than just your behavioural preference or colour energy. During a virtual meeting, we get to see our colleagues and although we might lack the physical element of being in a room together, virtual meetings are our next best option and managed effectively, they’ll embed a new way that will translate back into the workplace… when we get there!!!

Did you know…

that since the first lockdown in March 2020 The Colour Works has been hosting free-to-attend webinars on subjects that have helped people to get through these challenging times?

Please check out our Reboot Team Performance webinar, designed especially for leaders and managers that have previously experienced a Colour Works programme.