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How to run a hybrid meeting that works
Hybrid working is likely to become a feature of the post-pandemic office, but meeting when some staff are on-site and others are at home will be key to its success - new research attempts to guide the next phase of office work.
Running such meetings is far more complex than managing an all-remote or all-in-person gathering, as Bob Frisch and Cary Greene, writing in the Harvard Business Review, point out. Here are their top tips for getting things running right.
- Great audio is critical – and it’s often overlooked in favour of the right visuals. Zoom has changed all this: everyone expects to hear clearly.
- Always test the tech in advance!
- Think about video from the virtual participant’s perspective – what do they need to see to feel part of proceedings? Using separate cameras to capture both in-person attendees and presentations can be useful.
- A good way to give remote participants equal representation in a meeting is to give them prominence on large screens. Keep in mind all the attendees when designing a meeting, which means running through each activity and exercise beforehand to consider what tech tools and techniques will be needed. For example, if you want a breakout, the best solution is to put the virtual participants in the same group.
- Despite the best intentions, it’s far too easy for those in attendance to dominate proceedings, so assigning someone – either a meeting participant or an outsider – to keep the conversation balanced and on track is useful. And give each in-room participant an in-room “avatar” – a staff member or a fellow participant in the meeting who can be a physical presence in the room. Whether it’s to move a camera angle or just to whisper to someone to please raise their voice a little, having confidential access to an in-room point of contact can remove the sense of being isolated.
Key fact
Nine out of ten organizations say they will combine remote and on-site working as COVID restrictions are eased, according to a recent McKinsey survey of 100 executives across a wide range of industries and geographies.
Sourced from Harvard Business Review, McKinsey
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