An online board meeting is an effective method of bringing your team members together remotely, without the requirement for everyone to travel. It allows you to hold more meetings at different times that are suitable for the majority of attendees, thus increasing the efficiency and engagement. Any changes made to documents during these meetings will be automatically synchronized when internet connectivity is restored. This means that even if your colleague is offline in the meantime, they will be able to access and read up on all the details that was discussed at the last meeting.
In an online meeting members of your board can use the video conferencing tools within their board management software to view each other and talk face-to-face. This keeps them entertained and allows them to observe each other’s non-verbal communication. They can also turn off their mics when they are not talking to avoid interrupting one another and to respect the rules of online meetings.
It’s a great idea review the technology with your board members prior to the meeting to make sure that everything is functioning correctly. It’s important to make sure that the computer of your board member has a reliable enough connection, as well as the quality of their camera is satisfactory. Additionally, it’s important to ensure that they have enough bandwidth to run the meeting and will not have any distractions (like the sound of ringtones or an annoying background).
Participants in virtual meetings should also be aware of their attire. It is important to maintain an appearance that is professional, since everyone around the world will be able see it. It is also advisable not to stand in front of large windows since the glare may interfere with the view on the screen.