Here you can read in 3 minutes what makes online meetings, workshops or telcos good events. Everything about objectives, moderation, role allocation, good time management etc.
Rules and tips
for successful Online-Meetings.
1) Clear definition of objectives
When is the meeting a successful meeting? Which points do we want to address? What do we want to clarify? If these questions are addressed right at the beginning and accepted by everyone, the foundation for an online meeting that makes sense has been laid.
2) Consistent moderation
The experiences from "real" workshops, digital meetings and telephone conferences: The central success factor for a meeting is control and moderation. And thus the distribution of roles in a meeting. Who is an inviter? Who is a moderator? What is the role of each participant?
3) Selected, few participants
Which persons, which competences do we need for the defined objective? And perhaps more importantly: Who do we not need? Rule of thumb: From 8 people upwards it becomes difficult.
4) Thanks to a good agenda everyone is prepared
The agenda is distributed in good time, everyone knows the objectives of the meeting, their role and tasks. Rule of thumb: short and crisp.
5) Reliable time management
One role of the moderator is to pay close attention to the precious time of the participants. The meeting starts and ends on time. If participants are added to the meeting, the timing of the slots is taken into account even more carefully.
6) Plan your next meeting
If there are follow-up meetings, the group can briefly define dates, contents and responsibilities together, which saves a lot of time and energy in preparation.
7) Appreciative interaction with each other
Lively discussions are more challenging online. It is therefore helpful if the group agrees on a fundamentally curious, appreciative attitude. If everyone thinks in terms of "maybe this is a good idea", "maybe she's right", many conflicts do not arise. Behave politely, be brief, let yourself be talked out. The moderator*inquires, summarizes, ensures commitment, focuses on open questions and results.
8) Short protocol of the results
A meeting is only as good as the minutes. A good protocol is short, clear and comprehensible even for non-participants. And everyone knows which tasks they will complete till when.
9) Have a plan B
Last but not least: working technology: choose a platform like Zoom, Skype or MS Teams accessible and understandable for everyone. And determine who is integrated via camera, microphone or split screen. And since technology is not always reliable: Always plan ahead: Which alternatives are quickly available? Choose another technology, take a break from technology, make a phone call ...