In today’s digital age, remote meetings have become commonplace in academia. With the rise of remote work, virtual meetings have become the new norm, especially in academic institutions where teamwork and collaboration are essential. However, running remote meetings can be challenging, and it requires careful planning, preparation, and execution to ensure that the meetings are productive and achieve their intended outcomes. In this post, we will discuss effective remote meeting practices for better teamwork.
1. Set Clear Objectives and Agendas
One of the essential aspects of running effective remote meetings is setting clear objectives and agendas. This ensures that all participants have a clear understanding of what is expected from them and what the desired outcome of the meeting is. The agenda should be shared with all participants before the meeting, giving them enough time to prepare and contribute to the meeting.
2. Use the Right Technology
Using the right technology is crucial to ensure that remote meetings are productive and efficient. The technology should be easy to use, reliable, and accessible to all participants. Video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Skype, and Google Meet are excellent options for remote meetings, as they offer features such as screen sharing, recording, and chat functions.
3. Encourage Active Participation
Remote meetings can be challenging when participants don’t actively engage in the discussion. Encouraging active participation is critical to ensure that all participants contribute their ideas, opinions, and feedback. One way to encourage active participation is to assign specific tasks or roles to each participant before the meeting. For instance, one participant could be responsible for presenting the agenda, while another could be responsible for taking notes.
4. Establish Ground Rules
Establishing ground rules is crucial to ensure that remote meetings run smoothly. Ground rules should include guidelines on how participants should behave during the meeting, such as avoiding multitasking, being punctual, and respecting other participants’ opinions. Ground rules should be shared with all participants before the meeting and enforced during the meeting.
5. Follow Up and Follow Through
Following up and following through after the meeting is essential to ensure that the meeting’s objectives are met. Follow up could involve sending a summary of the meeting’s discussion, action items, and deadlines. Following through involves ensuring that the action items are completed within the agreed timeframe.
Conclusion
Remote meetings are an essential part of academic teamwork and collaboration. Effective remote meeting practices, such as setting clear objectives and agendas, using the right technology, encouraging active participation, establishing ground rules, and following up and following through, are essential to ensure that remote meetings are productive and achieve their intended outcomes. By adopting these practices, academic institutions can build better teamwork and manage remote teams effectively.
