Meetings are an important tool in project management to exchange information and evaluate goals. However, what are the rules of the game and how can virtual meetings be efficient?

We have summarized five tips for a professional meeting culture:

1. Clarify expectations and define rules:

Agree on rules and on what to expect from the meeting. Also important: all participants should arrive at the meeting on time and well prepared.

2. Send the agenda a few days before the meeting:

Topic and goal of the meeting should be sent to all participants in advance with defined time-slots for each topic. This allows the participants to prioritise discussion points and prevent endless debates as well as open-end meetings.

3. Host the meeting:

Usually, the project leader hosts the meeting. However, it is also possible, that each time another (also external) person or team member can chair the meeting.
Ensure that all participants stick to the rules in terms of topic and time. Intervene in discussions and questions that should rather be clarified outside the meeting. Insist that the meeting ends with concrete measures and decisions. All participants should have a common understanding of responsibilities. It is essential, that meetings produce concrete results.

4. Respect the meeting etiquette:

To let people finish and to listen carefully are more than good manners and ensure, that meetings are held efficiently and effectively, without unnecessary repetition and without the annoyance caused by frequent interruptions and/or distracted participants.

5. Distribute minutes to all participants:

Even if the participants take notes for themselves, a summary shared with the participants of the meeting is helpful to avoid misunderstandings.

Meeting etiquette is also important for online meetings
By reducing costs (travel expenses) and increasing efficiency and productivity, video conferencing tools not only make sense in view of the current home office situation but also are generally valuable tools for companies. Rules that apply to face-to-face meetings are of course also relevant for online meetings.
When choosing a suitable video conferencing tool, you should not only focus on personal taste and ease of use, but also on video playback, local recording options and accessibility (participation via notebook and telephone). Various collaboration features such as chats or screen sharing are, of course, helpful, depending on the intended use. Depending on how often you hold online meetings, it is advisable to compare the advantages of paid Pro versions with those of a free version.
For further valuable tips on the topic of remote work/ home office and useful conference tools also read the current IPMA® blog post.