If you’re working from home like most of the country right now, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be tasked with organizing meetings. Whether it’s a planned weekly check-in with your team or a spontaneous meeting to discuss constantly changing situations, you can lead with authority and confidence if you know how to organize remote meetings following these steps.
Give Your Team Advance Notice
You may be accustomed to sending a quick email or poking your head into a colleague’s office and saying, “Can we meet in 15 minutes?”
Even if your workforce is keeping set hours, employees working from home may need a bit more time to prepare for the meeting. Let’s be honest: Not everyone gets dressed up — or even dressed — to work from home.
Employees who are homeschooling their children during the COVID-19 pandemic may need time to get their kids settled in with a movie to keep them quiet or coordinate with a spouse to keep the kids busy. Give at least two hours’ notice if possible for video conferencing and a half hour for a regular conference call.
Determine Which Business Tools You’ll Need and Choose a Platform
Will your meeting require screen-sharing? The capability for people to work on multiple documents and spreadsheets at the same time? Do you want to record the meeting?
You’re probably accustomed to your office video conferencing platform offering all these capabilities, along with solid internet through your business ISP. Getting clear on the functionality you need can help you select a platform that will enhance productivity while maintaining solid connection speeds.
Create a Specific Agenda for Remote Meetings
Just like in-person meetings, having a clear agenda will help you stay on target and accomplish more in less time. A concise agenda is especially critical when employees are working from home and you only have a limited window to meet and get things done before distractions intrude.
Test Your Software and Home Business ISP Connection Before the Meeting
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people to learn and embrace new technology quickly. If you’re using a new platform for your remote meetings, make sure to test it out with a trusted colleague before you invite the rest of the team into the virtual room.
Most homes don’t have a business broadband connection, which means you’re competing for bandwidth with the other devices in your home. You’ll want to choose a room in your house with solid Wifi coverage or use a computer with a hardwired connection. Fortunately, today, most home internet plans are just as robust as business broadband and you should have the bandwidth to host a meeting from home on virtually any video conferencing platform.
When it’s time to get back to the office, remember that Consolidated Communications business Wifi service and business phone deals provide the maximum in reliability, capabilities, and 24/7 technical support to our business customers.