The number and popularity of video meetings have increased significantly in recent years, although we have long known about the possibility of video conferencing. The global pandemic has contributed to this development, and now virtual meetings have become a daily routine for company employees. However, many people still believe that face-to-face meetings are much better. Still, virtual meetings have many advantages, and the number of adherents of virtual meetings has also increased significantly. This article highlights the main benefits of virtual meetings for the board.
Significant time savings
Board members are busy, so they may often be out of town or even out of the country on their own business, making a board meeting date and time physically impossible. With virtual meetings, they can attend meetings from anywhere in the world. No one has to adjust and take the time to travel to a specific location. The board leader can more easily find the time and date of the meeting that works for most participants. This is very important because the more often and more board members can attend the meeting, the more engaged and productive they will be.
Ease of calculation
With online board meetings, it becomes easier for the CEO to calculate meeting times, and the likelihood of meeting delays becomes minimal. Not only does this show that the CEO respects the time of the rest of the attendees, but it also allows for substantive meetings. For example, by following a quality agenda, the executive can track speaking time or topic discussion better.
More ways to express yourself
Professional board solutions, such as board portals, offer a wide range of tools for interaction during a video conference. For example, you can use the “raise your hand” feature to ask a question and not go unnoticed, or you can use live chat to add a comment or ask something without interrupting the speaker. During the presentation, you can use the laser pointer and easily move between files to find the document you want and show it to other users’ screens. Also, board members can vote (anonymously or not) on urgent and important issues and approve agendas and minutes using electronic signatures.
Building more trusting relationships
Virtual meetings can throw you into two extremes: a tense environment and awkward pauses or a more comfortable and homely environment and increased trust between colleagues. To avoid what happened in the first case, the head of the board should create a certain atmosphere, give each participant the floor, announce their presence, share the necessary materials for the meeting in advance, and start the communication with interpersonal connections. During the meeting, ensure that only one participant speaks at a time, and remember to turn off microphones to avoid background noise. Once the proper tone has been established, the home atmosphere will only serve you well.
Less small talk
Small conversations are always nice and help increase the level of cooperation between participants. Still, it can be a problem if it takes time or even distracts participants from discussing real business. In a virtual video conference room, there’s no room for casual conversations; all participants are set up for work only.
Enhanced collaboration
A virtual board meeting helps set participants up to brainstorm and collaborate effectively. But the CEO must make the right decision about how to conduct the meetings. Having each participant take turns to turn on the microphone and expressing their opinions will make your session more democratic and ensure everyone gets their time to speak.