Having efficient virtual meetings is an ongoing challenge. There are many factors influencing the success of a virtual meeting, and generally, of a virtual team. Controlling and improving all of them is very difficult, if not impossible.
So how to make virtual meetings more effective? What we found out is that engaging in a more personal way during and after meetings increases the level of attention. We therefore put together some tips for you to make your meetings more personal.
Use Video Conferencing (or share a video message)
In meetings: When holding an online meeting, invite all participants to turn their camera on so you can see each other. This is a good way to keep everyone engaged and the closest alternative to an in-person meeting.
In project work: When working on projects in virtual teams, individuals often work on tasks at different times, thus videoconferencing is not always possible. In this case, why not recording a short video at the end of your day? You can let your colleagues know what you accomplished and where they can take over from. It’s a way of meeting asynchronously.
Be More Personal with Handwriting
Handwritten messages are a very personal way of communicating, as each handwriting has unique characteristics. In comparison, if you consider chat messages, they always look the same. For your virtual meetings, use a collaborative solution that allows you to write with a digital pen, and leave a message to your colleagues: here at IBV, we do that with the cutting-edge Surface Hub and Windows 10 inking capabilities in CollaBoard. Just as microexpressions in a video conference can convey more meaning than mere words, handwriting can say more than a typed message.
Use Multimedia Storytelling
Stories fascinate and draw us in, delivering effective messages. That’s why advertising and marketing campaigns rely so much on storytelling to get their messaging across, and they do that with multiple media: video, photo, audio, written and spoken word. Doing the same in a meeting is a great way to increase engagement, especially in an interactive environment like CollaBoard’s.