Most people schedule meetings for an hour purely out of habit. When you\u2019re putting together an agenda or thinking over the meeting content, decide how much time you\u2019ll realistically need \u2013 often it\u2019s no longer than 45 minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Adding 20 people to a two-hour meeting is the equivalent of having an employee out of the office for an entire week. Anyone who doesn\u2019t need to be there could just receive meeting notes or an easy-to-access recording. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. It\u2019s all in the prep<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Send out an agenda, detailing the purpose, running order, any expected pre-work and the expected outcome. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Research shows about 25% of its effectiveness occurs before a meeting if people can prepare for what\u2019s required of them and can cover questions right there on the spot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Use your technology <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Video first: Meetings are much more collaborative when people can see each other. Even the most camera-shy person will soon become comfortable on screen when it becomes the norm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Join using your name: It is much easier to see who is online when you have a list of names, rather than lots of \u2018anonymous users\u2019 or telephone numbers listed in the meeting tool. If there is an option to join the meeting anonymously, don\u2019t do it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Consider using the lobby: This allows you, as host, to bring everyone into the call at once. If the meeting includes lots of people that do not know each other, it avoids the awkward small talk whilst everyone waits for the meeting to start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mute on entry: Set the meeting to automatically mute everyone when they join. Allow them to unmute themselves when they wish to talk. This is particularly useful in large meetings, where people joining late can disrupt the flow of the meeting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Follow up <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter how good the technology is, inevitably your participants may miss important points or focus more on notetaking than fully engaging with what\u2019s being said. Record the session and send out the link to participants so they can revisit the detail later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Make the most of your tech <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The best advice out there is to find out about every last thing your technology can deliver and make sure that everyone has training so you can really get your ROI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re unsure what your system can do, or want to see what\u2019s out there, get in touch<\/a> and we can point you in the right direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Richard Buxton has worked within the VoIP and Unified Comms industry for over 20 years. Starting out in the industry, he was responsible for adding IP telephony functionality to traditional PBX systems \u2013 years before the technology had been widely adopted. He then moved into the service provider sector and helped maintain and grow a SIP trunking platform and launch a hosted telephony solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the recent years, he has built a team and developed the Collaboration portfolio for Node4<\/a>, our parent company. More recently, he has migrated the entire Collaboration portfolio and teams into our brand new business unit \u2013 N4Engage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWho is Richard?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n