Effective Hybrid Meetings

Effective hybrid meetings enhance collaboration and communication, bridging geographical divides and fostering a more cohesive team dynamic. They also promote work-life balance by accommodating different time zones and personal schedules. By leveraging technology and establishing clear protocols, these meetings can be as productive and engaging as traditional face-to-face meetings. This not only boosts productivity but also supports a diverse and global workforce, making it an essential practice in modern business operations.

 In a published article on 13^th December 2023, the LinkedIn Learning Blog provides the following suggestions to make your hybrid meetings effective and successful.

 According to a Forbes study conducted in 2023, 28.2% of full-time employees sometimes work from home. By 2025, 32.6 million Americans will work remotely, and 98% of all workers want to work from home, at least part of the time. If you haven’t adjusted to hybrid work by now, it’s time to prioritise it.

 Sadly at the date of this article preparation, there are no South African based statistics available on hybrid work.

Follow these sounds tips on how to hold effective hybrid meetings:

1. As Chris Croft on LinkedIn suggests, the first question to ask is “Do we need a meeting at all?” Meetings are expensive,” he explains. “And they also aren’t always that productive. At any one point, there are going to be some people at the meeting who aren’t engaged.”

2. Before you start your meeting, determine why you really need it. Define that need and build an organised agenda around it. The better you understand your meeting’s purpose, the more focused and productive it will be.

3. Only invite employees who have a specific reason to take part. The more people at your meeting, the less any one person will have the space to contribute. Worse, if people aren’t actively contributing, they’re likely paying less attention overall. 

4. Ask yourself what each invitee is going to contribute to your meeting. If they have a specific purpose for being there and they are going to participate, then they should have a spot. If not, try to find an alternative way to get them any information they need.

5. Define the rules of engagement - guidelines that set your meeting up for success so that everyone has a chance to contribute and be heard. When the meeting begins, take a moment to remind everyone of these rules so they all contribute appropriately.

6. Create a “think, do, feel” matrix. This represents how the meeting audience currently thinks, what they’re currently doing, and how they currently feel. Then, write down how you want the meeting to change these things.

7. Define these changes required as concretely as possible and make them the goal of your meeting. Center everything you present and discuss around fulfilling these goals. You could even discuss your goals explicitly at the start of the meeting and review them at the end to make sure everyone’s on the same page.