Time Saving Office Tips Series from the Continuous Improvement Committee

CI Tips brought to you by the Continuous Improvement Committee and CI-minded UVAFinance FST Intern turned part-time employee, Jack Sherwood

Read more about Jack here.

Tip 2:  Hybrid Meetings

from Jack Sherwood and Kriszti Kiss

In the coming months of a hybrid working environment, new challenges will present themselves as some folks return to the office while others remain remote. The focus of this post is to combat the disruptions that will occur in meetings.

Zoom has its benefits of substantially increasing attendance at meetings and making work accessible anywhere. When returning to in-person meetings, it is expected that turnout will be lower and meetings will be harder to make. The most likely outcome is one where those in the office will meet in a conventional office space and remote workers will video call in via Zoom. A year and a half into using Zoom, we still encounter troubles every day muting people, taking turns speaking, and accessing meetings. Here are best practices to avoid inefficient meetings and creating an inclusive environment.

1. Limit the number of meetings. This may come in the form of combining agendas, but a lower volume of meetings means less chance of conflicts and missing out on information.

2. Piggybacking off number one, be precise and strict with meeting times. As mentioned in one, if there is one meeting that will be a tell-all, make sure the time is clear and attendance is high.

3. Embrace digital meeting tools. As frustrating as Zoom can be, it has kept teams connected during a time of strict isolation. Don’t put workers at a disadvantage if they need to work at home.

4. Eliminate fear of outside contribution. If there is one virtual person in a meeting of 50, create a comfortable environment where the virtual worker can speak as if everyone were virtual.

5. Make all visuals universally visible. If whiteboards or presentations are used, be sure to make them digitally accessible via camera.

6. Ask for feedback from all attendees. Oftentimes, Zoom audio will not reach everyone or the video will malfunction. Make sure that if problems arise, they are noted.

There is a common theme with these tips: be inclusive. The outsider effect is real and will be important to avoid this fall. There is no worse feeling in the world than not having a voice, so conduct meetings in a way that is equal and accessible for all.