OnPoint’s global research study on virtual collaboration identified the factors that differentiate high performing virtual teams, or a success profile of “what good looks like”. One important differentiator was effective virtual meeting management, such that top performing teams have high-quality virtual meetings (v-meetings) and lower performing teams struggle with this.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest trouble spots for leaders is conducting virtual meetings and many leaders have never been trained on best practices for v-meeting management. We hear stories all the time about marathon v-meetings—some even lasting a day—that quickly lose focus and end up being a waste of everyone’s time. Given that successful virtual meetings are essential to team performance, OnPoint Consulting offers the following tips and guidelines to help virtual leaders better manage v-meetings and improve their performance.
Tip #1: Prepare For the V-Meeting
Build an effective agenda. In order to make the most of a v-meeting, it is important to outline what will happen before, during, and after the meeting. First, determine who needs to attend and invite participants, giving them as much advance notice as possible. At least several days before the meeting, send a meeting reminder with the agenda, any necessary materials, and information on technology that may be used.
We hear about regularly scheduled v-meetings that are conducted without agendas or clear objectives, but they take place because they are on the calendar. Poorly run meetings not only waste already scarce time, but they can also jeopardize the team’s ability to meet its deadlines. This is especially true when people are on multiple virtual teams and need to better manage their time.
The medium matters. Identify the appropriate technologies to support the meeting’s objectives by considering how much collaboration will be necessary and then determine the appropriate level of “richness.” For example, email, which is a one-way medium, is generally best for tasks that require little collaboration such as information sharing. When teams need to solve complex problems or make decisions, technology such as videoconferencing or collaborative software tools, such as Hewlett-Packard’s Halo or Cisco’s TelePresence, are best. Shared web-based conferencing tools like Webex or Gotomeetings have white board functionality that can be used to brainstorm a team’s ideas and polling questions that can be used to periodically solicit feedback and engage team members.
Address time zone barriers. One of the most common difficulties is finding a meeting time that works well for all team members, especially for global virtual teams whose members may span multiple time zones. Team members often complain of having to work longer hours—working at 10:00 pm or even getting up at 3:00 am—to accommodate their virtual teammates. Consider rotating the meeting time to accommodate team members in different time zones.
Tip #2: Keep Virtual Meetings on Track
Minimize tangential discussions. How do top virtual leaders keep everyone on track during the meeting? They are upfront with the team and tell them that staying on track is everyone’s responsibility. They are well-prepared, which makes the meeting more efficient. They also use process intervention techniques when necessary to keep the team focused. An example of this is interrupting a discussion to refocus the participants and/or rebalance group interactions. While process intervention can be challenging in a virtual setting due to the lack of visual cues, it becomes critical to the success of a meeting.
Reinforce shared responsibility. Team members on high performing virtual teams often take on a facilitation role as needed. Everyone takes responsibility for keeping the group on track, ensuring that time is well-managed, and that meeting objectives are being met. To reinforce the shared responsibility, have different people lead parts of the session. If appropriate, rotate the facilitator role among team members.
Tip #3: Balance Tasks and Trust
Top performing virtual teams balance a focus on tasks with attention to building trust and communication which are particularly important for high performance.
One common challenge on cross-cultural virtual teams is communication and language barriers, which can be a problem when people are not face-to-face. Some virtual teams start the v-meeting with a “warm up” or informal, non work-related, conversations. These informal conversations help team members transition from their native language and listen to one another get accustomed to accents or unfamiliar pronunciations. The warm-ups also allow people to get to know each other and help build trust.
Consider a virtual team that had several members for whom English was a second language. The team leader asked each team member to share a brief story or update in English at the beginning of each meeting which had positive results. Other virtual teams may use native translators to help clarify key messages and ensure that any cultural nuances are not lost when team members communicate with one another.
THE BOTTOM LINE
We have witnessed numerous examples where poor meeting management led to virtual team performance issues. The good news is that by following a few simple tips, team leaders can facilitate high-impact virtual meetings and successfully lead from a distance.
