In our previous article, we looked over the basics of video conferencing, but how do you make your meeting a success? Today we’re going to be looking at methods to keep people engaged, particularly in team meetings.

Maintaining Order and Encouraging Contributions

It’s important to keep people engaged. The best way to do this is to ensure that everybody can contribute. That can be difficult when it’s hard to know when to speak. For those trying to listen, there is nothing more frustrating than several people talking over each other. Fortunately, many video conferencing platforms have anticipated this problem and provide different ways to allow people to contribute while simultaneously keeping things ordered.

For example, in Zoom, there is both a text chat feature and raise-hand function. This means that people can type out their thoughts, comments and questions on the fly, or raise their hand if they want to say something in voice chat.

You should make an effort to understand the functionality of your video conferencing system and create a set of simple guidelines to let people know the process for contributing to the meeting. Distribute these guidelines a few days before the meeting to give people the chance to learn and understand them.

Encourage People to Mute their Mics When They’re Not Speaking

Some video conferencing platforms allow the room leader to mute the non-active speaker. If that functionality is unavailable, it’s best to encourage people to use ‘push-to-talk’. Alternatively, they could use any available software mute or the physical mute button for their microphone. This helps not only to keep the chat free of coughs or other interruptions but typical background noises such as music, outdoor sounds or pets.

Encourage Contribution

To prevent people’s minds from drifting, it is good practice for the facilitator to regularly canvas opinions from the group. You can encourage them to type an answer into chat, or go through them one-by-one to allow them to speak. However, you do it, taking the time to enable people to speak up not only aids overall meeting engagement, but it can also help overcome the nerves of some who are perhaps more self-conscious about video conferencing than others.

Read the Room

It’s good practice to ask that everyone has a webcam available for a video conference. Some people might have good reasons for not having one, such as working on desktop computers which are not always sold with cameras included. If possible, however, it’s best to try and encourage these people to get a camera or even send them one if practical.

The reason you want everyone on camera is two-fold. First, it helps mitigate some of the isolation your people may be experiencing working from home. They can see some friendly faces and have more honest and open interactions with each other.

Secondly, it helps you to read the room – to identify who might be distracted, upset, confused, etc. You can keep an eye on people’s facial expressions and body language to assess where people are. If you get the sense that somebody is feeling left out of the conversation, you might want to try and be more proactive in including them. Should someone not be paying attention, you may want to ask if they can stick around for a private one-to-one to get a sense of whether they need additional support.

Try to Keep it Short

Particularly when dealing with larger groups, you want to try and prevent people from taking up large chunks of time speaking. We know that some people are naturally more verbose than others, so people must try and get to the point quickly.

You also want to keep the meetings as short as is reasonable. It’s uncomfortable to stare at screens for too long without a break. If you simply must have a longer session, factor in natural breaks every half-hour or so to allow people to stretch their legs, grab a coffee, nip to the toilet or attend to their families. You will find meetings are far more productive when you can keep people relaxed.

Seek Feedback

When the meeting is concluded, ask everybody who attended to send some feedback about the meeting. Make sure they include any difficulties they may have had, such as problems hearing certain people, keeping up with the different opinions being expressed, or anything else that may have dampened their experience.

You will also want to confirm that they understand any measures agreed upon in the meeting, or any assignments handed out.

Use the feedback to work to tailor people’s experiences for the next meeting, and you’ll soon be able to engage in remote sessions with more confidence.

The post Video Conferencing Tips for a Successful Meeting Part 2 appeared first on Robin Lines Associates.

As with an in-person meeting, the first thing you need to decide upon is what you wish to achieve from the meeting. Are you delivering a product demonstration and pitch? Perhaps you’re negotiating an already existing offer? You could be meeting a new client or contact within an organisation for the first time. You may also be conducting a meeting with your team members.

With the meeting’s purpose firmly in mind, you should begin preparing for the call. Ensure that any documents, information, PowerPoint slides and similar items are ready and rehearse the content of any pitch or speech you need to give.

If it’s a team meeting, make sure that you circulate an agenda, preferably a couple of days before the meeting to allow your people to comment or contribute to it.

Be Punctual

When running a remote meeting, you must be punctual. Try and ensure that you are in position at least fifteen minutes before it begins. This gives people confidence that everything is working at your end, doesn’t leave other early-birds sitting around staring at loading screens, and importantly, it allows you to thank everybody for attending as they filter into the room.

Small Talk

Try and set everyone at ease with a little bit of small talk. Have an icebreaker ready. Understand that this is the perfect time to start trying to engage people in the meeting by asking questions. If it’s a team meeting, give people a chance to let you know how they’re coping, particularly during the current health crisis.

Presentation Skills

We all know that when you’re working from home, it’s easy to let things slide a bit. Perhaps rather than wearing your typical work suit, you’ve adopted the heavy metal t-shirt and jogging bottoms approach? That’s not a problem when you’re flying solo, but a meeting is a team affair. If you’ve decided to start growing out your beard or haven’t been able to visit the hairdressers for a while, at least make yourself presentable.

If you’re meeting somebody for the first time, perhaps a new client or contact, then it is even more critical that you make a great first impression so go the extra mile to make sure your appearance is up to scratch.

You should also ensure that your room is well lit, with no distracting elements in view of the camera. A few typical items like a coffee mug or picture frame are acceptable, but if you’ve got a Pulp Fiction poster on your wall or a pet tarantula behind you, then you might want to consider moving things around a bit.

Body Language and Speech

55% of all communication is non-verbal. Think about what you’re like when you’re on the phone. You might be fidgety, you might pull faces, or you might slouch or otherwise appear to lack confidence. During video conferences, it’s often easy to forget that other people can see us. You should treat the meeting as though it was an in-person meeting, and adopt the same body language that you usually would. Avoid appearing too casual, and be mindful of what you are communicating to the other participants.

When it comes to speaking, you should have a good quality microphone that you can get. While many laptops come with built-in microphones, you often find that these are of poor quality. Similarly, cheap and cheerful headset-mics are usually cheap for a reason. It is worth investing in good quality equipment. While it is not currently feasible to test devices in-store before you buy, make sure that you check out reviews of different products.

Equipment

You also need to consider that many of your attendees may not have good quality headsets and microphones. They may also have network problems that cause stuttering or lag. Consequently, you need to speak clearly and concisely, and possibly slower than you might typically speak. Don’t sound condescending if speaking slower than usual; try and maintain a positive pitch and tone, and after key points, ask everyone whether they understand.

Finally, remain upbeat and try to remember to smile and give a warm vibe through your facial expressions. You want people to be and stay engaged throughout, and that won’t happen if you look like you don’t want to be there.

The post Video Conferencing Tips for a Successful Meeting Part 1 appeared first on Robin Lines Associates.

Fun is an essential component of a dynamic working environment. That doesn’t mean slacking off, bad jokes, or interrupting meetings to jam on your guitar like David Brent. It does mean you should look for ways that can make coming to work more of an experience and less of a grind.

Today, we’re going to look at some ideas for introducing an element of fun into the workplace. This list is far from exhaustive but might stimulate your own creativity, enabling you to find ways to make your organisation unique and a great place to work. 

Get Out of the Office

Boredom is one of the biggest causes of productivity lapses. One driver of boredom is when we start to feel that everything is the same. Offices rarely change, meaning your people spend forty or more hours a week in an effectively static environment. Getting away from the office now and again acts as a welcome change for many people, stimulating their senses to take on new information and making their days less routine.

You can accomplish this in many ways. For example, meetings or appraisals could take place in a local restaurant, or even just somewhere else on the premises. You could improve the abilities for your people to work remotely, allowing them to spend days at home to break up their week. 

Sensory Stimulus

When we stimulate our senses, we become more alert. It would be far too costly to change the furniture and redecorate the office every week, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add variety. For example, you could change the artwork on the walls to add new visuals, or you could change the plants seasonally. Different air fresheners can provide people with new scents, or even a change of radio station can add new sounds. 

Switching Projects

Some companies have found great success in keeping their people motivated by temporarily shifting the projects that they are working on. For example, Valve Software, creators of the Half-Life video game series and the online retailer Steam encourage their people to move between teams on occasion. This is intended to help their people stay motivated as it breaks up some of the daily monotony, while also giving them the chance to gain new skills and insights from their peers.

Staying in the tech world, Google encourages each of its developers to spend a little bit of time every day on a personal project. By breaking up the task, the aim is to ensure the developers don’t burn out trying to solve one problem and sustain their motivation levels. 

Celebrate Events With Your People

We spend more time with our colleagues than almost any other people in our lives. Fostering a sense of family can be a huge motivator, and one of the best ways to do this is to celebrate with them. Acknowledging birthdays, anniversaries, personal achievements and other such milestones take only a small amount of time out of the day but can have a massive effect on engagement and productivity.

Don’t just recognise people for what they do, but recognise them because they are part of your team. That recognition can also help to increase loyalty to your organisation and make your workers better advocates for your business. 

Social Events

People are often wary of speaking candidly in the office. Many fear that anything they might say could end up on the record and cause problems down the road. However, if your people are struggling with issues at home, or are experiencing other difficulties then it is something leaders need to know about.

By organising social events, both in and out of the office, you can connect with your people on a more personal level which may make them more willing to open up about problems they are having. Social events can make people relax and feel more ‘at home’ within your organisation, and it provides you with the opportunity to support them when things get tough.

The post The Importance of Fun appeared first on Robin Lines Associates.

In this video, we take a close look at People Engagement: What it is, why it’s important and how leaders can improve their engagement levels.

In this short-form presentation, we will cover the following areas:

• Is People Engagement the ‘Holy Grail’ of Leadership?
• What is the Difference Between Engagement and Satisfaction?
• Statistical Analysis of UK Engagement Levels
• Measuring Engagement
• How to Improve Engagement through Reward, Acknowledgement, Communication and Compassion
• Why You Should Celebrate Success
• How to Learn More About Your People and Take an Interest
• Make People Enjoy Coming to Work
• How to Have the Difficult Conversations

Robin Lines Associates offers a variety of Leadership and People Management training programmes, tailored to the needs of your business and focused on delivering realistic, measurable improvements. To learn more, please feel free to Contact Us. We look forward to hearing from you.

The post [Video] Raising the Engagement Bar appeared first on Robin Lines Associates.

Here’s a rundown of several methods to increase People Engagement in your organisation.
 

Praise

Even a simple ‘thank you’ for a job well done can help boost engagement in your business. People want to feel valued and appreciated. Try and catch people doing a good job and let them know that you value their contribution. Be careful not to over-praise, however, as too much can start to sound disingenuous.
 

Encourage and Develop

Motivation and engagement go hand-in-hand. You can foster a great office atmosphere and culture if you have a plan to encourage and develop people to reach their goals. Show commitment to helping your people reach their full potential by finding out what makes them tick and offering a route to success through training and other activities.
 

Lead By Example

If you want your people to be passionate and enthusiastic, then you need to inject those qualities into everything you do. Strive to produce world-class work and to be an industry leader by never settling for average. Additionally, be helpful and approachable, with an open-door policy so that your people can seek your input and advice. Furthermore, take time to work alongside your people. Don’t be the boss behind the door; muck in and get your hands dirty.
 

Make Your People Love Coming to Work

Dynamic workplaces are exciting workplaces. People who feel like they are doing the ‘same old’ every day become bored with work. Ask yourself whether your workplace is a creative, innovative one? Are the decisions you are making challenging people to be the best versions of themselves? Do not be afraid to give your people a voice and let them speak up. Brainstorming sessions, or even the humble suggestion box, might be the key to your next breakthrough.
 

Develop and Maintain Trust

People work best when there is trust. They want to know that their managers are looking out for their best interests, and trust that the business is heading in the right direction. Additionally, your people will want to know that their concerns will be treated with respect, that their colleagues are as engaged with the work as you need them to be. Regular feedback and mentoring can help build trust, as can treating mistakes as opportunities to learn, not a lecture.
 

Celebrate Success

Whenever something good happens, celebrate it. Make everybody in your department, or at your organisation, a part of those successes. Winning breeds winners, and is a powerful motivator for everyone else. Make use of internal communications or company newsletters to highlight the individuals and groups that have gone above and beyond. Importantly, make everyone feel invested in what the business is doing so that they feel responsible for its future progress.

The post Six Methods to Increase People Engagement appeared first on Robin Lines Associates.