After mastering the work-from-home routine, things are shifting yet again. As pandemic restrictions are lifting, companies are no longer seeing themselves having a two-dimensional workforce environment. While this may be an exciting step towards normality, it can also cause some logistical stress when balancing the interests of onsite and remote workers.
To cater to both audiences, many are looking to hybrid meeting options. This option combines traditional meeting practices with the use of technology to offer both in-person and virtual attendance.
Tips for setting up hybrid meetings
1. Assign an in-person attendee as a moderator. By designating someone to monitor chat, reactions, polling, etc., you give your virtual participants an in-person voice during the meeting.
2. Send out meeting materials ahead of time. Make sure remote participants can print the materials prior to the meeting, if desired.
3. Ensure your technology is working for you, not against you. Test your camera set-up ahead of time to make sure you are capturing what your virtual audience will need throughout the meeting.
Tips for avoiding the pitfalls of hybrid meetings
1. Normalize the use of digital meeting tools. Try using tools such as Micro, Google Drive, or OneNote to collaborate on agenda items before meetings, capture brainstorming ideas during meetings, and create follow-up notes or resources after meetings.
2. Create opportunities for inclusive participation. Encourage participation from all attendees by incorporating ice-breaker introductions, inviting virtual attendees to contribute first, and using round-robin to ensure everyone gets an opportunity to contribute.
3. Require onsite attendees to join the virtual meeting. When juggling different meeting environments, in can be difficult for onsite and offsite participants to see and interact with each other. To prevent this, in-person attendees should also join the virtual meeting with their cameras on.
Regardless of the landscape you facilitate or present in, 2Connect provides coaching or training to ensure you show up your best and meet the group’s objectives. Reach out to Kristy if you need help making the transition to hybrid meetings a success. As always, we are happy to be a resource.
