You are probably not going to be held responsible for how other remote employees achieve their objectives anyway! There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to goal setting. Instead of following any specific tips on what kind of goals you should set for remote employees or do remote meetings, try being ambitious and realistic at the same time.
If your fitness goal is to run a marathon in six months but all you do is walk from your office chair to a close area and back every day during lunch break. Once everyone has shared their goals with everyone else and once there has been time for some reflection, it is time for action!
Making Virtual Meetings Engaging
Before you begin the action, it is required to search for ways to bring engagement among the employees in Remote meetings. Here are some ways described to achieve the same!
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Lead a discussion with a clear goal
So you are leading your virtual meeting and you think to discuss something with the team. Let’s check where it takes us. First of all, congratulate yourself for taking the initiative. But if you don’t want your meeting to become a waste of time, come with an agenda in mind. If the purpose is to brainstorm new ideas, that’s great! Make sure everyone has the relevant information in front of them before they start talking. If it’s more of a status check-in kind of meeting, invite only those who have significant updates since last time.
Don’t feel like you need to fill up every minute in your calendar with meetings otherwise, nothing will get done. Meetings are not for telling people what their jobs are unless something changes in that regard or there is a miscommunication. You can send out an email instead. If someone doesn’t know how best to execute her responsibilities, give her some space and schedule one-on-one coaching sessions during which she can ask all the questions she wants without feeling like she is holding anyone else back because everybody is busy contributing at meetings and relying on her for answers later when they need help executing their tasks.
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Ensure that everyone agrees with you
It is natural to assume that everyone is on board with your plan. After all, the whole team has come together to discuss and agree upon a solution. But there may be some people who are not quite ready to jump on it yet. They could have reservations or opposing views that could signal an upcoming problem in the future. Make sure you check in with meeting management software, so they get a chance to voice their concerns. This way, any problems can be addressed immediately, and it gives you time to hear others out before making any major decisions down the line. The more prepared you are for opposition from your colleagues; the less likely it will be that they’ll surprise or disappoint you when their voices are heard for real later on.
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Call everyone for every meeting
If it is a virtual team meeting, then invite only the team members. Do not call everyone in the company for a meeting to discuss technical issues. Likewise, if it is a marketing issue, then there is no need to call everyone from the development department. Inviting more people than required leads to confusion and wastes the time of everyone present at the meeting. Invite only those who have a role to play in the meeting or those who are directly affected by the outcome of the meeting. It is an important aspect to consider!
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Avoiding The Common Mistakes
Don’t talk too much in virtual meetings. You might think that the more you talk, the more your team would learn. Not true at all! Evidently, they would get confused and start losing focus. It is better to let them express their opinions and ask questions instead of talking non-stop during the meeting. Next is to use slides to deliver clear messages. An effective presentation can help your team understand complicated topics easier and faster.
It also allows you to add visual support for key points in a quick and easy way. Remember, people are more likely to remember what they see than what they hear! Also, avoid inviting irrelevant attendees who don’t belong to your team. This is one of the most common mistakes made by meeting organizers when running team meetings.
For example, in a sales meeting with sales reps only, there is no need to invite your boss or colleagues from other departments who have nothing to do with this issue or have nothing else useful to contribute. Share details about the agenda firsthand so that participants know what they are going to discuss beforehand, which helps them prepare well in advance. They can also make arrangements if it’s necessary.