Look no further. We have solved the web meeting productivity problem
The definition of productivity is simple — working efficiently and achieving good results (sounds pretty straightforward, don’t you think?). Productivity means your get more out of your meetings and you become a help rather than a hindrance to the meeting. The capacity for collaboration has always been important for productivity. With the advent of web conferencing or web meeting software, collaboration has never been easier. Especially since modern collaboration devices such as smartphones and laptops allow users to connect at any time, anywhere. Meaning, geographically dispersed employees can now work together in real time.
However, many struggle with improving their productivity levels, even with the use of web collaboration software. While there are many ways in which productivity can be improved, we at Drum believe that preparation directly feeds into productivity. Therefore, we thought it would be a good idea to put down a list of preparation tips to help you and your web meeting be more productive.
Be on time or better yet, join early
Punctuality. Punctuality. Punctuality. This is one of those aspects which lays the foundation of your web meeting’s productivity. Train yourself to always be on time to the point that it becomes a habit because there is nothing worse than joining a meeting which has already started. You will not only attract negative attention to yourself but could also be the cause of a disrupting the meeting flow which might not be regained, making it highly ineffective (Why not read more about effective meetings)
Check emails before joining
Imagine being in a web meeting when suddenly, your boss asks you for a follow-up on something they have sent to you in an email. If you haven’t checked your email, you would then have to do so in the middle of a meeting or worse, would have to admit that you are unprepared. Being up to date will only show you in a positive light and only play to your advantage.
Turn phone on mute
We have spoken time and time again about turning your phone off or at least setting it on silent mode during a meeting. First of all, if your phone rings during your meeting, it will prove to be distracting to all attendees. While at the same time, turning off your phone will make sure you are not getting distracted or getting tempted to answer private messages, check social media or play games. While some parts of the meeting might not directly relate to you, you should still try to give your utmost attention. At the end of the day, you never know what information might surprise you or prove to be useful in the future.
Have your documents ready and annotate them
Another useful tip which we thought would be worth sharing is to always make sure you have all the documents needed for the meeting with you. Get those files together and make sure they are uploaded to the web meeting prior to it starting! There is nothing worse than that feeling of panic when you realise you don’t have all the appropriate documentation when you need it the most. A bonus would be for you to annotate the documents prior to the meeting. Doing this will save you from spending most of the time trying to decipher between them. Moreover, adding extra notes in the margins of the documents will make you seem more prepared.
Close unneeded tabs and programs
Before you join a meeting, make sure any unneeded tabs and programs on your device are closed. Open taps usually slow your device down. Thus, decreasing its productivity output while also being distracting. Try to avoid this at all cost and prevent any distractions in the meeting by closing and exiting out of anything not relevant to the meeting.
Device is charged
Picture this. You are in a meeting and your device suddenly turns off. A dead device means a dead meeting causing you to exit the web meeting which will directly result in a loss of productivity. Meeting attendees might not know whether to wait for you or proceed, while you are gone. This will undoubtedly be distracting and might end up making the overall meeting ineffective. That is why you need to make sure your device is charged prior to the meeting.
This may seem like a substantial list of thing to consider. However, the majority are fairly minor and straightforward. Most of these tips should just simply slide into your existing workflow for every webinar or web meeting. Moreover, a slight change in your approach to meetings will begin to provide you with considerable benefits. Remember, there is no growth without productivity.
TO BE CONTINUED…..
(Stay Tuned for Part 2!)
