Online meetings and techno music

A few weeks ago, a graduate student in my online class sent this email:

“I’m really not getting anything out of these online meetings with my group. It feels like we just sit around and look at each other. Want to make it more interesting? Give us free pizza, beer, and play some techno music in the background. Even then I’m not sure it would be as good as an in-person face-to-face meeting.”

Interacting with real people online to accomplish some goal is a tricky business. Although these meetings are synchronous (i.e., happening in real time), and we can collaborate with people scattered all over the world, something is missing.

Don’t fear. Whether you run a nonprofit or you own a Fortune 500 company, web meetings can work.

Start by finding the right service.

Some of the top-tier paid services such as GoToMeeting and WebEx offer many bells and whistles, and they do their best to mirror a face-to-face meeting environment.

If your budget is tight, free and low-cost services such as Google Hangouts, ooVoo and Skype can connect your group with video and sound from various locations at the same time.

I mention “low cost” only as a reminder that you still need A) a computer, B) with a webcam and C) access to the Internet.

Here are some basic strategies for conducting a virtual meeting:

Select and test the video software. If you and other group members are new to the video conferencing software, set up a dress rehearsal before the first big meeting to ensure that everyone can get access. Can see and hear all group members? This gives you a chance to work out all of those technical glitches.

Schedule a week in advance. This will allow all group members to download and test the software, attach and test equipment (e.g., webcam, microphone), and help the less tech-savvy people set-up and test their connections.

Distribute an agenda. Like other meetings, whether online or face-to-face, some kind of agenda should be circulated, and a final agenda should be distributed before the first meeting. Be sure to ask for agenda items. Assign topics to people. Everyone should have a chance to interact and ask questions (this avoids the staring problem my student mentioned in his email).

When possible, record the meeting. A recording of the meeting helps to avoid misinformation. The video should be available to everyone who attended the meeting. Think of it as virtual minutes. Sure, the secretary could take minutes, but do you really need them if you have a recording?

Most virtual-meeting services provide a recording feature. For example, Google Hangouts provides the option for recording the meeting and then making the playback available on YouTube. You can make the video private or public depending on the nature of the work.

When all else fails, take my student’s advice and play techno music in the background.

Dr. Adam Earnheardt is chairman of the department of communication at Youngstown State University. Read his blog at adamearn.com and follow him on Twitter at @adamearn.