You are probably much like me in thinking “oh gosh, not another meeting!” or a secondary meeting to talk about the details of the first meeting. Maybe even a third. Especially thinking back to how the past handful of years have been with Zoom being necessary and all the rage with the “work from home movement” due to the pandemic.
Don’t get me wrong, meetings are necessary, especially if you’re still stuck working in corporate or perhaps even working in or own a virtual business, such as myself. However, there comes a time when some meetings either become unproductive or unnecessary. Kind of like you’re in rinse n’ repeat mode.
We do not want to feel like we just lost a handful of minutes (or maybe even hours) of our day when we could’ve been doing something else to make the business world in which we live run smoother. And we most certainly do not want to feel as though our to-do list just got pushed to the wayside yet again due to another meeting that didn’t present anything relevant. We want these meetings to be productive … It’s not just about minding your P’s and Q’s, but respectfully minding your P’s, R’s and S’s in handling some extremely common meeting faux pas.
You’re probably wondering what I mean by P, R and S. Let me explain by sharing some simple tips to help your meetings stay on target …
It’s all about your P’s … PREPARATION, having a purpose and presence.
First rule of thumb here, and listen up because this is the most important thing, I’m going to tell you today in this short but sweet “untangling” episode …
If you don’t have a good reason to host a meeting, then don’t have one. But if you do … your meeting objectives and deliverables should be clearly stated in the agenda.
Personally, I do this right within the email meeting request. And only invite those who truly need to be there. You can also choose to send the agenda ahead of time (prior to the solid booking) to solicit suggestions and ideas. This way when everyone arrives, they are prepared and focused -- and most importantly ALL feel included.
It’s also about your R’s ... RECORDING and not rewinding.
Make sure when setting up your meeting, you allow for a reasonable amount of time for discussion and some time for Q&A. Also, if you are meeting virtually on a platform like Zoom or Skype, set your meeting to record in case you need to go back to review some of the details. This way you don’t have to take notes and can completely focus and participate in the conversation.
However, if you’re meeting in person, it’s probably a good idea to assign a note taker. Or turn on a recoding app on your device. This way nothing gets missed and an email round-up of details can be provided to all team members who participate, or need to participate in the projects or tasks, have all the information they need.
And whatever you do, try your best to start your meetings on time and once you start, don’t stop, or get distracted by an email notification or your phone ringing. Set these devices and platforms to silent so no time is wasted, and the agenda doesn’t fall off the track. It’s not only disrespectful to all those who took time out of their day to participate but also not productive.
Bonus Tip: If you and your team like to socialize before meetings, make things simple and just include some time for catching up within the meeting agenda.
And, about your S’s … the SEATS, SWEETS, and SURPRISES.
First and foremost … Location. Location. Location.
If you’re working with a local client or team, try to change things up a bit. If you know it’s going to be a shorter meeting, do it virtually to save everyone some time being stuck in traffic. Or, if you tend to meet in person or the meeting is going to be an hour or longer, change up the meeting location to spice things up a bit. Perhaps even surprise everyone by serving some treats or fun bevvies.
Also, don’t just work everyone to death with the details. Give value to them by concluding the meeting with a short team (or client) building activity, inspirational quote or speech, or even a short, fun video. Pump them up and show them how much you appreciate and respect their time.
Now let’s switch gears for a second to talk about video meeting manners.
If these past couple years have taught us anything, it’s that the world of video conference meetings and remote work has completely taken over. Regardless of your profession, stature, or sector, virtual meetings have become the “norm” (even though I hate tossing out that term) for the majority of folks.
Your personal presentation and how you project yourself on video is equally -- or arguably more important -- than a face-to-face office environment. Things like, don’t show up in your PJ’s with messy hair and peanut butter cookie crumbs on your face.
Meanwhile, there are professional etiquette nuisances you need to know that are unique to video meeting interactions. As a leader in my profession, or someone striving to become one, the last thing you want is to commit a video conference faux pas that’ll make you look unprofessional and unprepared and ill-mannered on camera.
That being said, I’m here to share with you a very important list of video conferencing manners do’s and don’ts. Minding these meeting manners essentials are an excellent starting point to elevate your overall video presence. Now keep in mind, these etiquette tips can truthfully make or break the impression you make during a video meeting, so be mindful, and listen up!
Let’s start with 9 simple do’s …
- Find a quiet place or space.
- Test your equipment and devices well in advance.
- Always show up on time, preferably a few minutes early if feasible.
- Start with small talk, casual conversation.
- Ensure your lighting is set up nicely (don’t sit in the dark).
- Make sure you look camera-ready – presentation matters.
- Make eye-contact through the camera.
- Mute all distractions, and even mute yourself when you aren’t speaking.
- Pay attention to tone of voice since unable to see a person’s entire body.
Now that that’s settled, let’s move onto 9 simple don’ts …
- Never EVER try to multi-task. Dedicate 110% of your energy on the meeting.
- Never EVER interrupt or speak over anyone else.
- Never EVER slouch in a comfy couch, in your bed or with your legs propped up.
- That in mind … never EVER take your device with you to the bathroom -- and I can’t even believe I had to share that one!
- Never EVER eat your lunch, a snack, or your dinner -- it’s disrespectful and distracting.
- Ensure to only invite individuals who need to attend so you don’t waste other people’s time.
- Do your very best not to stray from or neglect the agenda.
- Ensure your background is presentable, clean, and organized.
- Once the meeting is over, don’t forget to send a recap via email.
Video fatigue is a real thing. And there doesn’t seem to be a way out of it quite yet. And in all honestly, minding your meeting manners aren’t tough to follow, as long as you know what’s expected. The basics don’t differ much from virtual to in-person. So, my team and I highly suggest to just embrace and with grace!
Minding your meetings with all these P’s, R’s and S’s as well as the items from the do’s and don’ts lists of the virtual meeting world will not only bring you an excellent return on the investment of your meeting time, but also your resources.
T-E-A-M … Together everyone achieves more and having a S-Y-S-T-E-M … saves you stress, time energy and money.
However, if for some reason your team is not on point, members are always tardy, your constantly deviating from the agenda and interrupting others while talking then maybe it’s time to consider a new meeting strategy OR time for a new team.
In the end, it’s all about hosting SMART meetings.
Some people say that “time is money”.
I beg to differ … Time is precious. Money comes and goes.