Team meetings are beneficial to keep everyone aligned no matter where they're located. If you're a remote team manager or a leader within your company, it's important to consider every time you ask your team to join a meeting if the meeting is necessary, beneficial to everyone involved, and at a time that is convenient to all remote team members.
Today, it’s more likely than not that your meeting is going to have at least one remote worker attending. The 2023 State of Hybrid Work report found that 88% of those surveyed said that their meetings had at least one remote participant. Even though they take up some of the workday, meetings are important and are a great space to collaborate, learn about other departments, and update your company about sales, marketing, engineering, and growth. In fact, that same State of Hybrid Work report found that 38% of companies are cutting back on business trips because video calls work just as well as in-person meetings.
So, how can you maximize everyone's time and ensure they have the best meeting experience? Here's what you need to know.
What is a remote meeting?
A remote meeting, also known as a virtual meeting, occurs when a group of people, who are dispersed across different locations, use technology to communicate and collaborate in real-time. Remote team meetings are a powerful tool for bringing together distributed teams, enabling them to discuss ideas, share updates, make decisions, and collaborate on projects without face-to-face interaction. With the rise of remote and hybrid work, remote meetings have become an essential part of modern business operations, offering flexibility, accessibility, and efficiency in communication.
Remote Meeting Tools
With the right tools, remote meetings can be as effective as in-person ones, but with so many different tools out there, it can be difficult to find the right ones for your organization. Let’s delve into some of the most common and effective remote meeting tools that every organization with remote employees should consider using:
- Video Conferencing Software: Video conferencing software is at the forefront of remote collaboration. It allows participants to engage in face-to-face discussions, share screens, and collaborate on documents in real-time. Platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet offer robust features such as virtual backgrounds, breakout rooms, and live chat, enhancing the overall meeting experience.
- Video Conferencing Hardware: Complementing software solutions, video conferencing hardware provides high-quality audiovisual capabilities for immersive meeting experiences. From webcams and microphones to cutting-edge front-and-center solutions like the Meeting Owl 3 + Owl Bar, these hardware components ensure crystal-clear communication and seamless connectivity, even when participants aren’t in the same room.
- Monitor/Display: A reliable monitor or display serves as the visual centerpiece of remote meetings, allowing participants to view shared content, presentations, and video feeds with clarity and precision. Large-format displays, dual monitors, and high-resolution screens enhance visibility and engagement, ensuring that every participant remains fully immersed in the discussion.
- Computer or Laptop: The cornerstone of remote work, computers, and laptops serve as the primary interface for accessing remote meeting platforms and participating in virtual discussions. Equipped with powerful processors, ample memory, and high-speed internet connectivity, these devices enable smooth multitasking, screen sharing, and collaborative editing, empowering teams to work efficiently from anywhere.
Now that you have the remote meeting tools you need let’s dive into what it takes to conduct a productive remote meeting.
How are remote meetings conducted?
Before the meeting
1. Choose a remote meeting software
There are various free and paid remote meeting software options to choose from. Remote meeting software providers like Zoom make it easy to set up your meeting so remote attendees can participate. Research and compare your options to see which ones will work best for you and your remote team members.
2. Set up the meeting
Once you've chosen a platform, schedule the meeting and invite participants. Specify the meeting's date, time, and agenda, and provide instructions on how to join. Ensure that participants have access to the necessary technology and resources to participate fully.
3. Write and distribute a meeting agenda
A well-crafted meeting agenda is essential for keeping the discussion focused and productive. Outline the topics to be covered, allocate time for each item, and assign responsibilities as needed. Share the agenda with participants in advance to allow them to prepare and contribute effectively.
4. Join the meeting
On the day of the meeting, log in to the designated platform at the scheduled time and wait for other participants to join. Test your audio and video settings beforehand to avoid technical issues during the meeting. Greet participants as they join and ensure everyone is comfortable with the technology.
During the meeting
5. Engage in discussions
At the beginning of the meeting, give participants some time to mingle. It's challenging for remote workers to stay visible and connected with their colleagues who work in different locations. Allowing time for everyone to introduce themselves and catch up will help them build stronger connections to their coworkers.
Once the meeting begins, actively participate in discussions, share updates, and collaborate on agenda items. Use features like screen sharing to present slides or documents and encourage all participants to contribute their insights and ideas. Keep the conversation focused and respectful.
6. Follow remote meeting etiquette
For remote meetings to run smoothly, there are a few guidelines to follow. The first rule of meeting etiquette is to arrive at the meeting on time. Avoid distractions, like answering emails during the meeting. Avoid multitasking, maintain eye contact with the camera, mute your microphone when not speaking, and use professional language and tone. Meeting etiquette ensures the remote meeting stays on track and covers all the agenda items during the allotted time.
After the meeting
7. Create a meeting summary
Once the remote meeting is over, follow up on a specific list of action items and deliverables that were discussed during the meeting. Send the summary to all the meeting attendees so everyone knows what the next steps are and who's responsible for each deliverable.
8. Send out a recording of the meeting
If any people weren't able to attend due to a scheduling or time zone conflict, send them a recording of the meeting. They'll be able to catch up on the things they missed and can make sure they're clear about the outcomes and action items from the meeting.
Types of remote meetings
Let’s explore five essential types of remote team meetings and how to ensure inclusivity for remote team members when planning. Remote meetings, meaning virtual gatherings facilitated by technology, have become increasingly prevalent in today's work landscape. From daily standups to cross-team collaborations, each meeting serves a unique purpose in fostering communication, collaboration, and progress within remote and hybrid teams. Let's dive into each meeting type and discover strategies for maximizing their effectiveness while embracing remote work dynamics.
1. Daily or weekly standup meeting
Goal length: 15-30 minutes
Daily or weekly standups are a quick way for remote teams to check-in and ensure that everyone is equipped to get there promptly. Typically, standups allow each team member 2-5 minutes to discuss what they worked on yesterday or the previous week and what they will be working on today or that week. They can mention anything holding them up or anything they may need from the team and help give managers an idea of what everyone is working on. Standup meetings are especially useful for remote or hybrid teams because not everyone is in the office, casually discussing current projects. They're also a great way to facilitate team building and see everyone face-to-face at least once a day or week. Try to keep these meetings succinct and not go into too much detail.
2. Monthly or quarterly progress team meeting
Goal length: 45 - 60 minutes
Monthly or quarterly progress meetings are a way to check in on initiatives, sales, or whatever goals your team has. For these meetings, create an agenda ahead of time. Give each stakeholder 5-10 minutes to update the team on progress towards goals, roadblocks, successes, and failures. Leave at least 15 minutes at the end of the meeting for questions and to confirm goals and initiatives for the following period.
3. Virtual brainstorm meeting
Goal length: 15-30 minutes
Virtual brainstorms are intended to gather quick ideas from the team on a given project or goal and should intentionally be kept to less than thirty minutes. Brainstorm sessions are like goldfish, they will fill up as much time as you give them. Encourage any and all ideas and write them on a whiteboard (that's in view for remote teammates.) The Whiteboard Owl allows remote teammates to see what's written on the board from home. You can also take notes in a shared Google Doc and project on the screen for those in the room.
4. Hackathon/Productive Work Session/Office Hours
Goal length: 60 - 120 minutes
These types of meetings are blocks of time meant for productive work or offering a resource to other team members. Hackathons or productive work sessions provide the time your team needs to do a huge project in a collaborative atmosphere. Make sure to have a video call for remote team members, an agenda or spreadsheet to keep track of progress in work, and order some food to keep the atmosphere energized and informal. Feel free to throw on an upbeat playlist for the team as well.
Productive work sessions can be used for projects like:
- Updating or optimizing legacy blog posts
- Creating content
- Reviewing code
- Finding candidates
Office hours are a way to offer your skills and expertise to the rest of the company or new team members. Set aside an hour or two every week for people to come and ask for help, talk through ideas, or brainstorm. For example, you may be a designer. You have marketers who will be helping out with designs for social posts and blog CTAs. During your weekly office hours, marketers can bring you their designs and you can walk through tips and feedback via video meeting.
5. Cross-team collaborative meeting
Goal length: 30-45 minutes
Cross-team collaborative meetings are for two or more teams to sync on projects or mutual goals. Some examples of this may be product and marketing teams aligning on a product launch, sales and marketing teams updating each other on progress/goals, or HR and culture working together on a new leadership program. These meetings should have prepared talking points and agendas sent to the team ahead of time and should allow plenty of time for questions from each team. If the meeting is regular (ex. a monthly sales and marketing meeting) and feels like it's sales presenting, then marketing presenting, then silence, try mixing up the format. Make sure there is a reason for the two teams to meet and time for collaboration rather than just sharing accomplishments or updates in a one-directional way.
These are five of the most common types of remote team meetings.. Make sure that for all meetings, you include a video link, send an agenda ahead of time if relevant, and take follow-up conversations to Slack or your preferred messaging app. Consider time zones and record all meetings when someone can't be present. Happy meeting!
