Best Practices for Hosting
Leading a virtual meeting has some things in common with traditional gatherings, but a virtual meeting host takes on additional responsibilities related to the format.
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July 2020Institute a set of guidelines on technology use and meeting conduct before the main meeting starts—for example, meeting participants must turn on their video; those who wish to speak should raise their hands; participants should not multitask during the meeting; and all present must mute their microphones unless they are speaking. Explain how the chat function works if it will be used as a conduit for questions or to allow participants to discuss the presentation among themselves.
Being able to see each other is important in situations not related to didactics, such as grand rounds or a single speaker with a PowerPoint presentation. But for division or departmental meetings between colleagues, the ability to see visual cues and body language can help the host increase audience involvement and attentiveness.
“In my experience, meetings where you can’t see the other participants usually result in very little dialogue,” said Julie Wei, MD, division chief of pediatric otolaryngology at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Orlando, Fla. “Dialogue is critical for stakeholders to achieve consensus and increase engagement. The higher the stakes, the more important it is for all involved to see other’s facial expressions and body language.”
In my experience, meetings where you can’t see the other participants usually result in very little dialogue …. The higher the stakes, the more important it is for all involved to see others’ facial expressions and body language. —Julie L. Wei, MD
This means that the host may need to function as a moderator. Video meetings usually move at a slightly slower pace than face-to-face meetings due to a short delay for most systems to communicate. Make sure you leave short pauses after speaking and consider calling on attendees to speak to ensure that the meeting goes smoothly.
An important variable to consider is differences in internet speed among participants. If attendees are all in their offices, this may be less of a concern than if some are at home; hardwired connections usually work better than mobile ones. If someone’s video and/or audio seem to be lagging, ask through the chat feature if that attendee is having connectivity issues. Check internet speeds through online tests such as fast.com or speedtest.net and suggest switching to audio only to save bandwidth. Try to keep body movements to a minimum, as excessive movement can degrade video quality.
It’s the host’s responsibility to make sure the meeting follows the agenda and to avoid trying to squeeze too many topics into a single meeting. One or two main points of about 30 minutes or less are generally the most that attendees can concentrate on at one time without losing focus. If you need to cover more items, give attendees a small break to stretch, get a cup of coffee, or use the restroom. After the meeting, plan to spend five to 10 minutes gathering feedback on how the meeting went and what might be improved.
“I don’t think that virtual meetings are going away after COVID is over,” said Dr. Citardi. “As the technology and our familiarity with it improves, virtual meetings will be even more productive.”