How to Hold a Meeting When Traveling for Business
While traveling for business can have its perks, sometimes you inevitably crave the conveniences of an office environment. There is no substitute for being able to set up face-to-face meetings with colleagues or clients, but follow our tips below, and you should come pretty close to the real deal.
Organize a conference call online
There are now a whole host of great web conferencing solutions available for those times when you are out of the office but need to continue collaborating with others. There are many free services on the market, but keep in mind that if you travel regularly for business it may be worth investing in a more comprehensive system that will allow you to screen share, video chat and accepts unlimited data streaming.
Use Skype or Face Time
If you don’t require full web conferencing capabilities, Skype or Face Time should work just fine. You can use these much more easily from your mobile device, and with Wi-Fi and 4G networks now readily available in most cities you shouldn’t have any streaming issues on the go. You can even set up calls with more than one participant — perfect if you need to check in with your whole team.
Set up somewhere quiet and comfortable
To maintain your focus and ensure that others on the call aren’t distracted by unwanted background noise, try and base yourself in the quietest possible location. This isn’t always easy in a bustling airport, but if you’re able to spend some time walking around the terminal you’d be surprised how many quiet corners you can find, with many airports even providing convenient work areas offering table space and power outlets too.
Be clear and concise
It can be a challenge to get your message across to a room of people listening in on an unstable internet connection from thousands of miles away, so it is important to speak clearly and succinctly. Make sure everyone knows the agenda beforehand and keep discussions controlled and understandable by allowing participants to take it in turns to have their say. This can feel quite unnatural compared to a regular face-to-face meeting but it is an essential component of holding a productive remote conference call.
Accept that tech might let you down!
We’ve all been there — the call that drops half way through an important discussion, or the screen share that just won’t function no matter what you try — but it’s important to accept that no matter how robust the technology, there are going to be occasions where you will not get the level of service that you expect. Make sure you always have a back up plan — if the meeting is urgent and can’t be rescheduled use a different voice conferencing service or move the discussion onto email or an instant messaging platform if appropriate.
No matter how you go about holding your next meeting while on your travels, our Chicago airport shuttle will ensure that your onward journey does not interrupt your important work. Our chauffeurs make sure your travel is quick and convenient, with no unwanted hassle, so you can travel hands-free and keep up to date with colleagues on the go.
Originally published at Pontarelli Chicago Limousine Service.
