Consistency is key for teams that are working remotely. Without the clarity that a face-to-face interaction can provide, the virtual workspace can be a breeding ground for unmet expectations and confusing communication. There are several ways you can avoid these issues, though, and establish an online workplace that’s effective. One of the best strategies is the routine synch up meeting. As the name suggests, this is a video conference meeting a manager hosts in which all team members synch up their routine according to the team’s current objectives. You can make these meetings exciting with some fun team-building activities and the addition of a custom Google Meet background.
5 Effective Tips
- Start every meeting on a positive note. Even if you plan to address a difficult subject or grapple with the team’s struggles, it’s important to greet every team member with a smile and an acknowledgment of their hard work.
- Place a premium on teamwork. No matter what you plan on covering in a meeting, you need to address it from a teamwork perspective. Rather than singling out individuals, you should address the team as a whole.
- Ask for feedback from your team. Too many team leaders make the mistake of using up meeting time to report important information and review an agenda. If you want to establish unity on the team, though, you need to make time for feedback.
- Invest in appearances. It might be easy to write off synch up meetings as unimportant, but they’re important to maintaining your team’s morale and focus. Invest in appearances by installing a Zoom virtual office background.
- Always make a plan for improvement. At the end of the meeting, you should invite suggestions from your team on how you can improve your processes in the upcoming day or week.
Keep It Short and Engaging
It’s often said that brevity is the soul of wit, and it’s the soul of efficacy, too. People typically don’t have a very long attention span, and it’s even shorter in a virtual environment. In order to keep the meeting on track and ensure that it’s engaging, you should keep it short and sweet. If you’re conducting daily synch up meetings, 15 minutes is a good time limit. For weekly and monthly meetings, 30 minutes should be the cap. If you’re worried about addressing every item on the agenda within this time, develop a strategy for delivering information succinctly.
You should also research the Zoom virtual background requirements and see whether your computer meets the criteria. If not, there are several workarounds you can try in order to address the problem. Remember a routine synch up meeting should never be held just for the sake of holding a meeting. You should lead every meeting with a clear agenda and make every team member’s duty clear. This means every attendee should have a specific role and responsibility. With these principles, you can get your entire team on the same page and tackle the toughest tasks on your agenda.
