IGNITE May 2022

Virtual meetings:

They are here to stay

COVID has taught most of the population what a Zoom call is and coined the term, “You’re on mute,” but how does all this play together heading into the post-pandemic era?

“To virtual or not to virtual,” that is the question. COVID has taught most of the population what a Zoom call is and coined the term, “You’re on mute,” but how does all this play together heading into the post-pandemic era?

Virtual and hybrid meetings allow you to be more inclusive with who can join your group — from those who cannot leave work, those who are immunocompromised, those with transportation issues and even those with children. We can now accommodate all these various concerns.

Now, I know some people are still hesitant because of the lack of face-toface participation where you can better notice context clues and get to know one another and develop that intimate, personal relationship. BUT there are ways around this!

Here are some of my favorite tips and tricks to help make virtual meetings more engaging.

■ Send an agenda — and make sure you are not the only person speaking. The biggest flaw I see is when one person is speaking the entire meeting. This gets boring, and we need to switch it up to keep people engaged and ready! Be sure to stick to time frames so your meeting does not run over. I personally like to assign each section/ topic of a meeting into a time-frame to hold myself accountable and help with the next item on the list.

■ Careful on the small talk, be ready to jump right into things. An opening slide when people are coming in that asks them to share in the chat is a wonderful way to break the ice and get that conversation going! Consider pairing this with a dedicated virtual space, like a Facebook Group, Slack Chanel or Teams Channel where the conversations can continue.

■ Make sure you pay attention to your virtual listeners if most people are in person! Always call on the virtual audience to share and be ready for any breakout rooms that may happen. This is also where I want to mention the use of a camera. If someone does not want to turn their camera on, that is perfectly acceptable! We do not know why they are virtual and what else is going on around them. Do not guilt someone into turning on their camera, as that does not make for a positive experience for them. Instead, encourage them to update their Zoom photo so we can see that instead of their name.

There are so many other benefits to a hybrid meeting, and they are here to stay. Keep researching ways to make these meetings better and more inclusive so we can be sure to take everyone around us into consideration.

Danica M. Keeton is president of IGNITE Young Professionals. She also is owner of Weddings by Danica and president elect of Junior League of Rockford.

The views expressed are those of Keeton’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.