You’re a Telecommunications Systems professional. How do you keep your virtual meetings productive?

1 Choose the right platform

There are many options for virtual meeting platforms, such as Zoom, Teams, Webex, and Skype. Each one has its own features, benefits, and drawbacks. You need to choose the one that suits your needs, budget, and preferences. Consider factors such as ease of use, reliability, security, scalability, and integration with other tools. You may also want to test different platforms before committing to one, and get feedback from your participants.

2 Prepare and plan ahead

A successful virtual meeting requires careful preparation and planning. You need to define the purpose, agenda, and expected outcomes of the meeting. You also need to invite the right people, and send them the meeting details, materials, and instructions in advance. You should also check your equipment, software, and internet connection before the meeting, and make sure you have a backup plan in case of technical issues.

3 Set the ground rules

To avoid confusion, chaos, and frustration, you need to establish some ground rules for your virtual meeting. These may include asking participants to mute their microphones when not speaking, use the chat or raise hand features to ask questions, turn on their cameras if possible, and avoid distractions and interruptions. You should also remind participants to be respectful, attentive, and constructive during the meeting.

4 Engage and interact

One of the biggest challenges of virtual meetings is to keep participants engaged and interested. You can use various techniques to make your meeting more interactive and dynamic, such as polls, quizzes, breakout rooms, whiteboards, and games. You can also encourage participants to share their opinions, feedback, and ideas, and acknowledge their contributions. You should also use clear and concise language, avoid jargon and acronyms, and use visual aids and examples to illustrate your points.

5 Monitor and secure

As a telecommunications systems professional, you also need to monitor and secure your virtual meetings. You need to ensure that your meeting platform is updated, encrypted, and compliant with the relevant regulations and standards. You also need to protect your meeting from unauthorized access, interference, or sabotage. You can do this by using passwords, waiting rooms, host controls, and end-to-end encryption. You should also be aware of the potential risks and threats, and report any suspicious or malicious activity.

6 Follow up and evaluate

The last step of a productive virtual meeting is to follow up and evaluate. You need to send a summary of the meeting, including the key points, decisions, actions, and deadlines. You also need to ask for feedback from your participants, and use it to improve your future meetings. You should also measure the effectiveness and impact of your meeting, using indicators such as attendance, participation, satisfaction, and outcomes.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?