Concrete tips to make remote meetings work

There is nothing that creates alignment, collaboration, and ideas-sharing if done right and at the same time be the source of frustration, silo-thinking, and inefficiency if done wrong, as meetings. And the pandemic clearly polarized this dichotomy. Almost 500 days after we started to work fully remote, it is interesting to reflect on how physical distance has transformed our meeting habits in the Hemnet product organization.

Our journey started with a meeting overload, when all communication forms were transformed into a scheduled meeting, went through video fatigue, and evolved into new ways of working that embrace remote tools.

Image courtesy of Ian Dooley via Unsplash

Here are some tips to #MakeMeetingsWork that have been working great for us:

📷 Camera on, but no self-view

It is important to create a feeling of togetherness and at the same time remove video fatigue. Who wants to look at oneself in the mirror constantly?

👭 Design for inclusiveness

If one is remote, all are remote. Do not make the mistake to think about the one who is not in the room last.

🗣 Use meeting only when sync communication is essential

Meetings are great for discussions, creative processes, check-ins, feedbacks. If you just want to inform, write. And it goes without saying: no agenda, no meeting.

🎥 Record meetings

It is a great way to enable more people to get the information and at the same time consume it at their own pace.

⏳ Expand the length of the process, but shorten the length of the meetings

Take advantage of remote settings by having shorter sessions with preparation and reflection time in-between. It will create space for introverts to think and share their thoughts in a written form, reduce the stress, fuel the creative process and lead to better final results.

🚶‍♂️ Walk and talk

When you do not have to look at a screen or present, just walk and talk. It helps with video fatigue and physical well-being. It has been a great format for 1-1 for us.

☕️ Make space for virtual social activities

Bonding with colleagues without being in the same room is hard. Be intentional with fun activities like virtual coffees, and quizzes. One of the funniest we have had is when we had to guess the colleague based on a fridge picture.

What has been your experience with remote meetings?