The pandemic has changed our meeting culture with a massive adoption of online meetings. This was more than using tools but learning to chair and manage meetings in a new landscape. The biggest challenge is yet to come as we return to the office and a hybrid working culture where some meeting participants are together in a room with others working from home.
The pandemic has created amazing adoption for online meetings be they on Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, Google Meet or other platforms. Everyone from CEO to admin has had to spend the time learning to use these tools and adapt their way of working. Sometimes it has been difficult when the network runs slow, Tesco delivers, or children interrupt. Generally though these events only build the rapport between us as they remind us we are all in the same situation.
We have learnt to operate differently, not just in using the tools but in our meeting etiquette. We remember to wear clothing, no longer talk over others, have side conversations or hand out pieces of paper during the meeting. Meeting chair role has got stronger, bringing everyone into the meeting and making sure everyone has time to raise their points. This is particularly important in larger meetings, over six participants, where focus can resolve around one or two people.
How far things have come. Back in 2000 I started working for a global network company and collaborating daily with engineers in different UK locations and Canada offices. We used the conference phones and conference dial in bridges of the day. I remember learning to prefix short responses with a bit introduction to allow the Microphone to lock onto me talking,
“So from my perspective, I think that will work.”
Then we got introduced to Microsoft’s Netmeeting which allowed everyone to look at the same content within a meeting. Be that document for review, minutes of the meeting, or bit of code. Even with the technology some meetings were better than others and when the majority of people were in one room together anyone operating remotely felt like a second class member of the meeting. The hybrid meeting challenge.
Returning to the office we return to this hybrid challenge and potential in balance. We know that more than 70% of communication is non verbal. In a hybrid model this non verbal communication gives a significant differentiation between those in an office meeting room as opposed to those joining remotely. We can mitigate this to an extent by turning on video, but that isn’t always technically possible. To make hybrid meetings work we all have to adapt the meeting culture.
The greatest responsibility to make the meeting successful will always sit with the chair. It is the chair’s meeting and they set the direction and ground rules. What style of approach is best for the objective of the meeting depends on the context of the meeting. Is this just to broadcast information, to make a decision or a workshop to brainstorm ideas? The protocol on how the meeting participants might engage may be different within these. Broadcast style sessions may only require Q&A, asking people to raise their hands (physically or online) to register questions. A decision meeting may allow the chair to more systematically pass control to people to present or comment on the proposal. A workshop is perhaps the most difficult and may require breaking the participants into smaller groups, the leader of which present back, to enable all to have their say.
You as chair have the opportunity to make hybrid meetings work. It will take some planning before the meeting. Take 20 minutes to:
- Set meeting protocol based on the objective of the meeting. How will everyone be able to be engaged
- Go through the agenda item and note who needs to have their say against each agenda item. Not everyone may need to talk to every item
- Give the audience time to respond. It takes more time to come off mute or digitally raise a hand than in the room
