Whether you’re doing a telehealth visit or have visited with family or colleagues on Zoom or another platform, chances are, you’ve participated in a remote meeting in the last few months. Many College committees have been using video conference calls to facilitate work on projects. Here are some tips from Harvard Business Review for a successful remote committee meeting:
- Consider a video meeting, not just a teleconference – video meetings allow committee members to see each other, read body language, and be engaged. You can work with your College staff liaison to pick a platform that works best for your Committee. The meeting moderator (likely the committee chair) should test the platform before the call.
- Have an agenda – just like an in-person meeting, an agenda is essential to make sure necessary information is covered. Screen share documents so participants can follow along. Before the meeting ends, outline next steps and when you’ll be meeting again.
- To encourage discussion, make sure everyone’s face is visible. The meeting moderator should call on people to keep engagement high. Many video conference platforms have a button where a participant can “raise their hand” to let the meeting moderator know when someone wants to speak. Participants can also use the chat room functionality to ask questions.
It is likely video meetings will be here to stay, even after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Today’s technology allows committees to keep their work on track.
