How to increase team productivity for virtual meetings.

1. How to increase team productivity for virtual meetings In the past year, millions of employees were asked to work from home. The present health crisis has created a dire need for remote working. Technological advancements have played their role well in equipping us with the right tools to manage work from any location. Business leaders who now rely upon a remote workforce are constantly in search of new and improved ways to motivate employees. For some employees, the office environment played a major role in uplifting team spirit. However, team productivity can also be boosted in the virtual world. The following strategies will help you conduct more successful meetings: 1.Sharing the rules beforehand: First of all, as a boss, there are some rules you should establish for a virtual meeting. Will it be an audio meeting or will participants always be required to keep their cameras on? Should the participants feel free to wear anything or should they be told to dress up in a semi-formal way for each meeting? You don't want to burden your employees with a lot of formal rules but you don't want them to seem too casual either. Don't tell them but show them how to dress up by wearing something smart and dignified. 2.Familiarity with the various app in use: All the participants should be familiar with the apps you plan to use for your meetings. They should be advised to go through tutorials beforehand or the IT expert in your team should conduct sessions for them. Users should be able to use basic functions such as muting the mic, turning the camera on/off, and screen sharing, etc. Participants should be given at least ten minutes to check their mic and speakers are in place so there are no interruptions during the meeting. 3.Arrangements for security and confidentiality: You would want to make sure that your meetings are carried out securely and that random people don’t have access to the meeting room. Set a meeting password when you share the schedule for the meeting. Change “Join before host” settings so that participants can only enter when the team leader is present. You can pick a co-host for assistance and use a cloud sharing platform instead of a

2. file transfer feature. Alter the settings so that ‘removed participants’ can’t rejoin. By enabling ‘waiting room’ you can check who is trying to enter. 4.Choosing the best app: With so many options available you have to decide which app suits your purpose best. You can use NEEO Messenger, a video calling app, for crystal clear individual and group calls. All meetings are not the same and so you can use different apps according to the nature of each meeting. Less formal meetings can be held over an audio call but where there are more people involved video conferencing is a better option. 5.Outlining the DOs beforehand: With the rules already defined, it’s also important to discuss what the employees CAN do during lengthy meetings. Some people are punctual with their meals and so they should be allowed to eat during a meeting. You should let your employees know what they are allowed to do, such as, snacking, drinking water, tea, coffee, or any other beverage. Tell them they can take 5 minutes to go to the toilet if need be and keep their mic off while chewing or gulping. It’s only natural for people to take little breaks during very long meetings. 6.Creating sub-teams for increased efficiency: When you’re trying to increase productivity, you can divide people into groups during an online meeting. These needn’t be very large, but groups of 2-3 people who are given 3-5 minutes to give their input. This should be done pre-meeting so that each group can discuss important points among themselves before the meeting begins. This will help them come up with pertinent points. This way their time won't be wasted on brainstorming during the meetings since would already have done their homework. 7.Keeping a balance between the new and old: The best of technology can decrease your productivity if you start depending too much on it. So while you’re in the middle of a video conference and you suddenly come up with a brilliant idea, you don't need to use software tools to elaborate. Continue doing some things the old-fashioned way. Keep a whiteboard in your working space, even if you're at home. Pull out the whiteboard and map out your

3. idea with a board marker. This will help you explain an idea more effectively, especially to participants who are used to the old-fashioned ways of conducting a meeting. Often with virtual meetings, the concept of time evaporates which can take a toll on the health and productivity of employees. On some nights if employees get off at midnight they should be allowed to take proper rest before they re- appear the next day. Expecting them to wake up at the usual time in such circumstances would be unfair and detrimental to their work efficiency. Clients are hard to handle but as the boss, you can speak up for your employees and get them the time they need to recuperate. Download NEEO, the video calling app, for effective online communication. For managing your digital currency, check out the NEEO Wallet App.