Do's and Don'ts for Online Meetings

Online meetings are common these days. People use them for personal life, education, business and other purposes. But one of the most important points to consider is how to organize and conduct a video conference.

What does online meeting mean?

Online meetings with video have many names: video conferences, virtual meetings, online conferences, etc. They allow remote communication with the exchange of visual information. Depending on the device, you may need a set of household appliances or just your smartphone.

Goals range from a simple video call to your family member to political negotiations between world leaders. We will talk about some average of all those mentioned - when a virtual online meeting has some specific purpose of discussion and lasts from 30 to 50 minutes or more.

What is the importance of online meetings in business and life?

Nowadays, it is necessary to know how to handle video conferencing software and hardware - people prefer to collaborate remotely. Employees prefer to work from home; business owners find it more expedient to organize webinars and virtual conferences instead of offsite marketing events; etc. There are many reasons for this trend. But the bottom line is that the further time goes, the more communication depends on the means of remote interaction.

Benefits of virtual meetings

Among all the advantages of virtual meetings, we draw your attention to:

• saving time - in particular, when traveling;
• resource saving - money and effort for the organization;
• better opportunities for information delivery;
• more comfortable conditions for participants.

There are many other benefits to consider, but they vary depending on the specific use case.

What to do in online meetings

To get the best out of your online meeting, you'd better follow the tips below:

• start and finish on time - punctuality is always welcome;
• allocate minutes - give yourself the opportunity to correctly remember the agreements and decisions made;
• have an agenda for the meeting - it's easier to keep up with the times if you have a plan to follow;
• make it interactive - it involves participants and facilitates communication;
• chat - let the atmosphere be relaxed.

Add points as you wish, but try not to change the above.

What Not to Do in an Online Meeting

No matter how you complete your to-do list, try to avoid:

• wait for the meeting time to log in - it is better to start 5-7 minutes before the appointed time;
• multitasking - focus on one thing;
• touching the keyboard - background noise distracts attention and annoys people;
• when inviting unnecessary people - do not waste people's time;
• leaving the room - confuses visitors and wastes their time.

In summary, the more closely you follow the topic of discussion, the better.

As a rule, online meetings are a universal tool that facilitates communication and work. Therefore, it is very important to make this time as efficient as possible, as people have their own lives and problems to deal with. Use the iMind app for better participation and enjoy the best features.