Remote Work: Six Ways to Make Hybrid Meetings More Effective
Unlock the power of user training to keep the trend of remote work and hybrid meetings.
Remote work requires that hybrid and virtual meetings be just as collaborative as in-person meetings. Like remote work, hybrid meetings are now the most popular format. Being effective — and continuing to work remotely — requires training in the virtual platform. These are six ways to do it.
The Challenge Is Creating An Interactive Environment
One of the big challenge with virtual and hybrid meetings is creating the same interactive environment as in-person sessions.
The Solution
One solution that helps the collaboration and facilitation is to conduct a 2-hour training session about the virtual platform.
The Big Concern
Whether you’re using Teams, Zoom, Skype, Go To Meeting, Discord, Slack, or Circle, each platform has its own unique features, and every group will use those features slightly differently.
Good Work with Pre- and Post-Session Activities Matter
There are several things that should be done before and after the event.
1. Provide the participants before the training with the one pager on good practices related to virtual meeting participation.
2. Remember to provide a virtual platform refresher at the midpoint of your process or as new members join the team.
3. Post the advance handout and the initial training session on the virtual platform.
Components of the 2-Hour Training Session
I normally include 6 things that are specific to the use of the platform.
1. Features
2. Security and privacy
3. Scheduling and how to join the meetings
4. Collaborating on documents
5. Breakout rooms and polling
6. Interfaces with other apps and platform management
Don’t Forget the Hands-On Training
I also include in that two-minute 2 hour training a 30-minute hands-on practice. I usually use some standard scripts that I modify based on what the particular team will be doing.
And, what I found over the years is don’t let people who seem to be gurus at the platform skip this hands-on training. They need the hands-on practice just as well as the other members of the team.
The Big Takeaway Is To Do Virtual Platform Training
The big take away is that if you want hybrid and virtual meetings that have similar interaction and collaboration as in-person meetings, then you need to do some group training on the virtual platform. Remote work requires that hybrid and virtual meetings be just as collaborative as in-person meetings. Otherwise, we’ll all be heading back into the office.
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