5 Solutions to the Problems you May be Facing in Virtual Meetings

Problems Facing in Virtual Meetings

Our ability and willingness to use technology during the once-in-a-lifetime pandemic was probably the saving grace for many companies. Employees packed their desks to work remotely from home. There, they connected and completed their work in addition to conducting serious business, even though no longer face-to-face.

The benefits of virtual meetings are too numerous to name but some advantages are that they work, they are more cost-efficient, people can be invited from all over the world, and workers are more productive.

That isn’t to say that virtual meetings don’t come without challenges that made showing up difficult at times. Some of the more common problems and issues and solutions are listed below.

1. Meeting etiquette

Those forced to work from home for the first time are not sure about the proper ways to show up for virtual meetings. Although dressing like you are headed to a board room is a bit overboard for a virtual meeting, lack of grooming, eating on camera, and visible pajamas or sleepwear are not proper etiquettes for a business meeting.

Being prepared for a virtual meeting not only means that you have your notes and talking points ready and handy, it means that you are groomed and presentable for your coworkers and supervisors.

2. Too many blocked cameras

It is like a trickle effect, one employee will block their camera view for one meeting, and the next meeting there are two or three blocked faces for virtual meetings. If not addressed, soon there will be no participants that you can see, only boxes with red Xs on them.

The problem with blocking yourself during a meeting is that there is no way to see body language on blocked screens. Managers say it’s bad enough that they have to see you on screen, but when you block yourself out, they cannot tell by looking at you how you feel about new projects, how you are holding up working from home, or if you are paying attention.

3. Recording and transcription errors

Recording your meeting for those who cannot attend is an essential part of virtual meetings. They can playback the recording and be abreast of everything that happened. However, when there is a glitch and your recording doesn’t happen, there is virtually nothing you can do to recreate that meeting.

Hiring an outside platform to deal with webcast solutions will save your meeting from technical errors like that. Your recordings or transcribing notes are part of the services many offer. They ensure that your company has all the features necessary for a successful meeting.

4. Employee interactions

Employees attend virtual meetings to get information or present information. If there are glitches that prevent employees from sharing their screen, passing the virtual microphone, or prevents the information from being passed along, then those communication gaps will make the meeting a waste of time.

When your meeting has multiple speakers or information will be presented, plan for it the same way you would a live meeting. Send a meeting agenda to all participants so that your meeting goes off without a glitch. Unless it is a last-minute meeting, use the time before the meeting to plan for smooth transitions according to your agenda.

5. Different time zones

There will be meetings that international partners or board members must be in attendance. That means either very early morning for some and late evenings for others. Some groggy from lack of sleep and others were exhausted from a long day.

In addition to working to find a time that works for almost everyone, this challenge can be overcome by giving those who want to attend several week’s notice so that they can plan accordingly. Those who cannot attend because of the time zone differences can receive a recording of the meeting the next day.

Virtual meetings have allowed many companies to work seamlessly through the pandemic that sent workers home to do their jobs. However, that isn’t to say that virtual meetings don’t come with challenges that made showing up difficult. Some of the more common problems and issues have been virtual meeting etiquette, too many blocked cameras, recording and transcription errors, employee interactions, and different time zones.

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