Online Meetings Nov 26 | Bristol Organization

During COVID-19, we were all thrown into the deep end of online meetings without much guidance. We quickly learned both the promise — and the pain — of working together through a screen.

In fact, at the time I had a CEO request a blog post on “online etiquette.” I laughed, she laughed, and then I realized she was serious. I said I would write it if no one else had. I was almost certain someone had already covered it, especially one of the etiquette icons such as Emily Post or Miss Manners. Surprisingly, though, very little had been written at the time.

Now, online meetings are simply part of how we work. We know the technology better, but that doesn’t mean we always use it well. People still talk over one another, multitask during discussions and wonder whether their camera should be on. We’ve also added something new to the mix: AI assistants that can record, transcribe and summarize our conversations.

So, I’ve refreshed my original tips for online etiquette — not just for effective online meetings, but for connected ones — to share with your teams. These ideas build on one of our most popular posts about effective meetings and adapt those principles to today’s virtual workplace.

Etiquette of Effective and Connected Online Meetings

Conduct Orientation Ahead of Time: By my last count, there are at least 16 different online meeting tools. And even the tools we use all the time keep adding new features. So, don’t assume that everyone knows the ins and outs of the technology platform you’ve chosen. In every invite, send detailed instructions, so they know how to access the tool and how it may differ from others.

In the invitation and again at the start of the meeting, explain which features you’ll use (e.g., chat, video, Q&A, polls or breakout rooms), so participants know what to expect. If someone is new to technology or this particular tool, offer to have them join early to navigate any technical glitches and get basic training.

If the meeting will be recorded, transcribed or summarized by an AI assistant, let people know ahead of time. Tell them what is being captured, who will receive it and where it will be stored.

Start Strong: While this is also true of in-person meetings, if you initiate an online meeting, consider yourself the host, just like at a party. Welcome everyone and start the conversation as people arrive.

My favorite conversation starters are asking about upcoming or past plans for the weekend or asking about a recent project. Avoid starting with something generic like “How’s it going?” where everyone can give a one-word answer. If folks don’t know each other or are not on the same team, introduce them or have participants introduce themselves with a predetermined format (e.g., name, organization/title and a fact no one knows). If folks know each other well, invite them to do a quick mood check-in using an emoji, color, image or other visual prompt. By their very nature, online meetings work against our natural tendency to build relationships, so your job is to start strong and build connections consistently in meetings.

Maintain an Online Presence: First impressions still matter, even in online meetings. Talk to your team about norms around internal versus external meetings and expectations around backgrounds, dress, cameras and tool usage. For example, when is it appropriate to use the chat feature? I personally like people sending notes as presentations or discussions happen. It is affirming to me and shows they are engaged. Others may be distracted by these messages, so there is a balancing act around how much a team should use chat during meetings.

I also encourage my team to maintain eye contact with their webcam and view everyone in gallery view. This small thing can really transform your online meeting into a connected conversation. Camera expectations also need some flexibility. People may have bandwidth issues, disabilities, fatigue or something happening in the background. The important thing is for your team or board to discuss its expectations rather than make people guess.

Minimize Distractions: The convenience of online meetings allows us to work with people across offices, cities and time zones. However, working from home or joining from your office can and does cause distractions. It is easy for small distractions to become habits that undermine the meeting. Encourage everyone to think about online meetings as they would in-person meetings. If they get a call during a meeting, should they take it? If they get a text, is it OK to reply? Would they answer emails during an in-person conversation? If their child or pet interrupts, what should they do? In most cases, we would step out of the room and handle the issue. My rule of thumb is to minimize distractions. Out of courtesy to those watching, as well as the person presenting, I try hard to stay muted and turn off my video when an urgent distraction happens.

Be Focused: It is easy to feel disconnected and invisible in online meetings, but there are many ways to keep people actively engaged. Before you schedule an online meeting, first ask whether you actually need one. Sometimes an email, phone call or shared document will do the job. If you do need a meeting, there are many ways to facilitate active engagement. We recommend using some of the same methods you would use in an in-person meeting (see our related blog for more details on the below):

Create an agenda.
Assign roles (e.g., facilitator, notetaker and timekeeper).
Use the screen or a shared document when it helps illustrate a point.
Signpost as much as possible, so folks know what is expected and what they need to prepare.
Let people know if an agenda item is for information, discussion or a decision.

Make the Meeting Accessible: Online meetings can make it easier for some people to participate, but they can also create barriers. Ask whether anyone needs closed captions, materials in advance or other accommodations. Keep slides simple and readable. Avoid putting so much information on the screen that people have to choose between listening and reading. AI captions and transcripts can be helpful, but they can also get names, acronyms and specialized language wrong. Review them before sharing them as the official record.

Add Some Fun: As all our clients know, we believe our business is serious enough. Play is an important element of learning, even for adults. Find ways to gamify your meetings through polls, bingo or online brainstorming boards. Throw in a funny question. Ask everyone to come to the meeting with their favorite T-shirt on and start with a “show and tell.” Encourage the use of thumbs-up reactions during conversations. Of course, not every meeting needs an icebreaker or game. Read the room, even when the room is a screen.

Take & Give Breaks: Online meetings have many advantages, but they also create challenges. First, due to technology issues, they may need to be conducted at a slower pace. Remember to pause and invite questions at various points or read the chat box. Second, attention spans are shorter during online meetings. If the meeting is long, give people mental or physical breaks to help them stay engaged. You can also end a meeting 10 minutes before the hour or half hour. Those 10 minutes can give everyone a chance to stand up, refill their coffee and prepare for the next meeting.

Facilitate Discussion: Good facilitation matters even more online. If you have the luxury of an outside facilitator, use one. If not, brush up on your facilitation skills.

Here are some pointers from our work:

Ask specific questions, such as “What point in the presentation surprised you?” rather than open-ended questions, such as “What did you think?”
Assign the role or give someone permission to be a “devil’s advocate,” so people can share concerns about an idea in a safe way.
Ask people to use their names when commenting (e.g., “Hey, this is Suzy, and I think this point is interesting.”) to help others identify the speaker, especially when many people are in the meeting.
Call on certain people to share their thoughts but give them permission to pass.
Use polls, chat or breakout rooms to give people different ways to participate.

Use AI Thoughtfully: AI meeting assistants can record meetings, produce transcripts, summarize discussions and identify next steps. This can be extremely helpful, especially when no one wants to take notes. But before inviting an AI assistant, ask whether it is appropriate for the meeting. Think twice before using one for a personnel conversation, board executive session, legal matter or anything else involving sensitive information. Tell people when AI is being used and give them an opportunity to object. If an AI assistant shows up without the person who invited it, remove it. Sending your bot to a meeting isn’t the same as showing up. And always review the notes. AI can miss context, assign a comment to the wrong person or turn an idea into a decision that no one actually made. AI can take the notes. It can’t take responsibility for getting them right.

End on a High Note: Just as you start with a warm welcome, close the meeting intentionally. Allow folks to recap next steps, owners and deadlines. Then, end with a brief check-out on a topic, a funny picture or a lighthearted question. Laugh together. Connect through shared experiences. People rarely remember every agenda item, but they do remember how a meeting made them feel.

We hope you found this post helpful. The better we become at making online meetings more productive, inclusive and enjoyable, the stronger our teams and communities will be.

What makes an online meeting effective and enjoyable for you? What online meeting behavior would you be happy never to see again? Share your thoughts in the comments, and we will continue adding the best suggestions to our tips.

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