In today's high-tech global economy, face-to-face meetings are rapidly being replaced by their electronic counterparts: conference calls, videoconferences, and other virtual meetings.

While electronic meetings provide low-cost convenience, they present significant challenges for the facilitator who must manage the group dynamics, keep the discussion on track, and ensure that the meeting achieves its stated objectives.

Sticking with the fundamental principles of large-group facilitation is more important than ever, especially when technology is involved. The following are some basic tips to keep in mind when facilitating virtual meetings.

Establish Ground Rules for the call, such as:
1.		State your name before speaking during the call.
2.		Reduce background noise in your office and surrounding environment.
3.		Insist on one speaker at a time.
4.		When referring to a document, always state the document title and page number - and figure number if applicable.
5.		Come prepared - read the materials in advance.
6.		Have the documents in front of you on the call.
Before the Teleconference or Videoconference
7.		Have all materials for the call at hand on your desk, in the room or on your computer screen before the call.
8.		Print the reminder notice so that you have the phone number and access codes available. If you lose your phone or video link and your computer goes down, you may not be able to access the reminder e-mail.
9.		Have a backup phone available (i.e., cell phone) in case your phone fails.
10.		End any conversations or meetings at least 10 minutes before the call is to begin.
11.		Go to the bathroom before the call.
12.		For a videoconference, check your appearance before the call.
13.		Have a glass or bottle of water handy because talking may dry out your mouth.
14.		Have a list of who is supposed to be on the call.
15.		Find a quiet place for the call - close the door, turn off your music, etc.
During the Teleconference or Videoconference
16.		Check that everyone is on the call; wait no more than 5 minutes for anyone.
17.		Remind everyone of the ground rules that have been distributed/agreed upon.
18.		Maintain control and monitor the flow throughout the agenda if you are the moderator.
19.		Appoint someone other than the moderator to be the scribe. Whoever is taking minutes should have their phone muted because the clicking of typing may be distracting for others.
20.		If you are taping the call, inform everyone and get their consent at the start of the call.
21.		Make sure everyone agrees the call is over before everyone starts to hang up.
After the Teleconference or Videoconference
22.		Send any immediate action items to everyone within 2 hours so that they can get started on any follow-up actions right away.
23.		Distribute the complete meeting minutes within 24 hours.

Can Plus Delta help you improve performance through virtual teaming? To learn how you can become a more effective virtual facilitator and create more productive teleconferences and virtual gatherings, give us a call at (866) PLS-DLTA or send an email to info@plusdelta.net. You can also visit the Custom Learning page of our website for more information about our virtual teamwork learning curriculum.