With fewer in-person meetings, public servants are having to adapt. In light of this, our new Guide to Remote Meetings offers easy-to-digest tools and advice to help you supercharge your virtual meetings.
We have drawn together some of our best tips, techniques and advice after years of engaging our public servant members online and conducting remote meetings with our partners and colleagues.
In this guide you’ll find:
- Fifteen ways to plan and run a successful remote meeting
- Advice on becoming a superstar moderator
- A before, during and after checklist to help keep your mind focused
HOW TO RUN AN EFFECTIVE REMOTE MEETING
The Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated new ways of working. Whilst remote meetings and less face-to-face contact may be the new normal for the foreseeable future, virtual events can also improve our working lives beyond the time of the virus. This guide summarises 17 ways to not only plan and run successful and memorable virtual events, but also to embrace the upsides of them: virtual events can be more democratic, inclusive and affordable than in-person meetings. We have gathered this advice from years of engaging our members online as well as contributions from our network.
1) WHAT'S THE POINT?
What will this meeting enable you or others to do that you couldn’t do before, and is it worth the energy? If not, scrap it or redesign it as it wastes people's time.
You should decide the aim of the meeting you are hosting. Is it for decision making? Trust building? Information sharing? Influencing?
You can even think about integrating breakout groups into your meeting by assigning smaller groups their own meeting link. They can use a shared Google Doc as a virtual white board which can be used to share back ideas to the wider group.
2) MAXIMISE THE BEFORE
An event is much more than the actual event - it’s the engagement with opportunities that come before, during and after. This means that the planning, your communications and organisational skills leave a strong impression and can positively or negatively impact the event before you even press go on your online meeting.
Susan McPherson, CEO and founder of McPherson Strategies suggests that “the most successful events make it possible for attendees to connect prior to the actual start. Any opportunities for the host to create communities prior to, will enhance the experience for all.”
3) ZEN MASTER YOUR TOOLS & TECH
Use good tech and know how to use it. We use Zoom. There is a free version with the basic tools but we recommend getting the paid version with all the features if possible. Zoom has international phone numbers if accessing via the web link isn’t possible. Other software includes: Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, BlueJeans).
4) SHARE TIME ZONE PAIN
If you work with colleagues or partners who are on the other side of the world, recognise that every so often, a meeting will have to take place at an unsociable hour, and work to make it fair. If your Australian colleague has to take a call at 10pm one week, the meeting should be at a time that works for them the week after. This is a good karma maker.
5) LIMIT 'NO-SHOWS'
A clear and compelling agenda that signals audience participation and great speakers can help limit no-shows.This doesn't necessarily mean getting big names, just relevant ones. Sending out calendar invites in advance with an agenda attached and an email reminder with all relevant information, updates and the software you will be using will help ensure a full house.
6) USE A QUIET SPACE
Pick a quiet and well-lit space and you get bonus points for great visual backdrops. Make sure that the backgrounds send the right message and test your sound in advance.
7) NINJA AGENDA
Write a detailed agenda with a clear logic model that connects to your objectives, and helps to get presenter buy-in. Make sure the agenda is designed for introverts (who need time to think) and extroverts (who love to contribute but can crowd out others). Posing questions in the chat box helps. Most importantly, set out your expectations for everyone in terms of timing and hold people to it. Be careful not to over-schedule or have too many topics. Give room to breathe, reflect and be spontaneous. Nobody was ever upset by a great meeting or event that ended early.
“Design your agenda for introverts- who need time to think - and extroverts- who love to contribute.”
8) PREPARE YOUR SPEAKERS TO SING(NOT LITERALLY)
This is often the hardest part. Presenters can add invaluable insights to your meeting, but especially when you’re online, help them make what they say matter and do so in an effective and efficient way. Do all you can to set participants and speakers up for success.
Give memorable introductions: The moderator will be introducing the presenters. In advance of the meeting ask people to share something about themselves that isn’t obvious in their bio that drives their work or thinking.
We strongly recommend having a dress rehearsal ahead of the call to check tech and sound. An old-fashioned briefing can work wonders to ensure there is a common understanding and to build a better foundation for the meeting to fly.
9) DON'T STRETCH IT OUT, BUT DO STRETCH
Ideally online events are no longer than 60 minutes. If it must be longer, never make people sit for more than 90 minutes to ensure focus. If you can, try and build in a few stretching or walking breaks, where all the participants can have two minutes to grab some water or a cup of tea, or shake it off à la Taylor Swift. We know it sounds cheesy but people, even if they don’t do it, really appreciate it.
10) BE PREPARED FOR TECH SNAFUS
If you’ve ever videoed with your grandma you’ll be used to the not-so-sporadic network failures, wifi troubles and sound issues, and you should be prepared for the same problems when moving your meetings or events to remote. Stay calm - everyone expects it. You should have a host (someone who is the technology grand master) and a separate moderator for your meeting. We always have a backup plan and use humour as things work themselves out.
11) MODERATION IS KEY
You need an excellent, confident, emotionally intelligent meeting moderator (we like to call them DJs) who also has enough knowledge of the topic and key players to pull the puzzle pieces together with grace. They should set out the rules of the meeting from the off (such as how to get the attention of the moderator), to ensure that the meeting runs smoothly and everyone is included.
Always start on time (create that culture). No one likes meetings that run over and it helps move through necessary agenda parts (including audience interaction/questions).
12) GET INTERACTIVE
If done right, online meetings provide excellent opportunities for more inclusivity (and perhaps even remove some of the conscious and unconscious bias) as the moderator is more aware of who is speaking and who is not.
For large, discussion-based meetings at least have everyone wave hello at the start and then say a quick goodbye at the end if bandwidth is an issue (and it often can be). This creates better engagement amongst participants and allows them to feel more connected to one another. Active presenters should have their video on whilst speaking.
“The chat box makes your meeting more democratic, encouraging those who think they shouldn't 'take up time' to chip in.”
Get interactive by making use of the polling options offered by your conferencing tool, to poll participants at the start, middle and end of the meeting. Use the chat box to collect and reiterate questions, and encourage participants to leave their one-word or onephrase takeaway after each speaker. The chat box makes your meeting more democratic, encouraging those who think they shouldn’t ‘take up time’ in the meeting to chip in. The best thing about a virtual meeting is that everyone is around the same table and there is no one sitting in the back row. Be on the lookout for whom you do NOT see engaging.
13) GREAT VISUALS STICK
90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and 40% of people respond better to visuals than to text. Encourage or support your presenters to share great visuals when relevant - such as an infographic - with not too much text and powerful photography or graphics.
Check the visuals before they are used and scrap it if they aren’t great (or help them make them great). We also recommend that you (not them) do the screen sharing of the visuals to avoid loads of potential hiccups.
14) PLANNED SPONTANEITY
No matter how well you plan your agenda, things happen, and it doesn’t do you or your participants any good to hold fast to a time schedule that no longer makes sense. Don’t be afraid to move things around or cut sections which you don’t have appropriate time for or which discussion has made less relevant. Cramming everything into insufficient time makes the whole meeting less effective, and participants will appreciate you making the most of their time.
15) WELL (AND LIVE)-NOTED
Have someone taking notes in a Google Doc alongside the meeting, serving as a live record of decisions and/or outstanding questions for follow-up afterwards. You can also have agenda from previous meetings in the document which contributes to a greater sense of accountability.
This also goes for brainstorming. Everyone can join an anonymous Google Doc and fill the sheet with ideas. This also allows junior members or introverts to contribute to the discussion better. Share the notes with everyone and record the next steps.
“Tech will go wrong so just stay calm, have a backup and laugh a little (or a lot).”
16) 24-HOUR FOLLOW-UP
Share tidied-up notes (with decisions and/or outstanding questions) and any resources within 24-hours. Don’t forget to thank the presenters. Invite feedback from participants to see if you can improve next time around. With Zoom, it’s also possible to record meetings and save the transcript of the chat. You also can share it with those who were unable to join. Always make sure presenters are okay with the event being recorded.
17) (APPROPRIATE) LEVELS OF HUMOUR AND FUN HELP
It might take a while to adjust to the new normal of remote working and video conferencing. In the meantime, try and ease the pain for everyone and make it as easy as possible.
Include ice-breaker activities, make it personal and have a laugh. Get everyone to bring along their favourite coffee mug, an adult beverage, find a funky background or share a story - let’s break free from the traditional meeting or event setup.
We once even had people show up wearing costumes. Other times people have videoed in from interesting places (front lines, for example).
“An anonymous Google Doc allows junior members or introverts to contribute to the discussion better.”
- What's the point?
- Maximise the before
- Zen master your tools and tech
- Share timezone pain
- Limit 'no-shows'
- Use a quiet space
- Ninja agenda
- Prepare your speakers to sing
- Don't stretch it out, but do stretch
- Be prepared for tech snafus
- Moderation is key
- Get interactive
- Great visuals stick
- Planned spontaneity
- Well (and live)-noted
- 24-hour follow-up
- (Appropriate) levels of humour and fun help
HOW TO BECOME A GREAT VIRTUAL MEETING MODERATOR
Know your audience
Get to know your core participants and what they want to get out of the meeting. For those presenting, you should use pre-briefing calls to establish their speaking style, their energy level and whether they are comfortable thinking or answering questions on the spot.
Get on top of the logistics
Whether the person moderating the meeting can manage the logistics is make or break. You should have a great agenda, understand who is speaking when and crucially, how long they are speaking for. Get a handle on your software: can you mute the participants? Can speakers share their screens? Do you have a back-up plan?
Be as inclusive as possible
Virtual meetings are well set up to make inclusivity front and centre. Take the time to see who isn't engaging properly and who is dominating. Encourage people to speak up with their opinions and questions in the chat box and highlight their contributions specifically. If possible, moderators should prioritise fielding a question from a woman first, as it has been shown that it can increase female participation in Q&A sessions.
Drive forward with energy
Make a good first impression and open with high energy, even though it might seem hard to do so virtually. Greet people and encourage them to introduce themselves. If energy from participants drops, encourage a stretching break.
VIRTUAL MEETING CHECKLIST
BEFORE MEETING
❏ Identify the purpose and set goals
❏ What feeling do you want to provoke?
❏ Write an agenda with a clear logic model
❏ Check the tech and do a rehearsal
❏ Send an invite and an email reminder
❏ Be clear about what participants should prepare
DURING MEETING
❏ Introduce your speakers with an interesting personal detail
❏ Establish clear expectations around timings and be firm
❏ Get acquainted with the chat box
❏ Take notes on a shared Google Doc
❏ Use humour to deal with tech hiccups
AFTER MEETING
❏ Follow up within 24 hours
❏ Ask for feedback from participants
❏ Answer outstanding questions
❏ Check-in on follow up actions
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