Stacey Hanke is author of the book “Influence Redefined… Be the Leader You Were Meant to Be, Monday to Monday®.”
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It seemed the moment we got comfortable hosting virtual meetings from a remote work environment, people started returning to the office. One recent study found that 42% of professionals chose to embrace a new hybrid work model. While this shift provides employee flexibility, it results in an office environment like we've never seen before.
For the last two years, we have experienced a sudden shift in how we work, requiring us to learn new technologies and ways of interacting. Despite a sharp learning curve, we found comfort in knowing our meetings were attended by those who shared the similar experience of being confined to a small thumbnail on a computer screen. The new hybrid workforce challenges what we know, forcing us to ramp up our skills more than ever. Some may dial into a meeting one day and physically pop in the next. This presents a unique challenge for meeting hosts who must meet the demands of a simultaneous online and in-person work environment.
Hybrid meetings essentially require a host to conduct two different meetings at once. How you interact with participants, slides and handouts changes depending on the medium, as each presents unique challenges that require different skills and attention to detail. For a hybrid meeting to succeed, everyone online and in-person must feel connected to your message and each other.
To grow your influence in this new world of work, implement these three simple tips in your next hybrid meeting to ensure everyone gets the most from their time together.
1. Assign a moderator.
Influential hosts already have so much to consider: shaping messages on the fly, reading the room, interpreting body language and gauging participant engagement. Trying to manage the online technical aspects of a virtual platform simultaneously can steal focus and cause you to lose listener attention. Instead of trying to do it all, ask for help. Enlist the help of an in-person participant to moderate the online platform. This moderator can provide the dedicated focus and support online participants need to feel connected to the conversation.
Empower the moderator to speak up on behalf of online participants. They can share comments posted in the chat feature or interject to gain the room's attention of virtual attendees. Moderators can also manage the online mute button, so the meeting isn’t interrupted by unintentional background noises from online attendees.
Everyone understands that as the meeting host, there is already a lot on your plate. Assigning a moderator will ensure online participants are heard and get as much representation as those physically in the room.
2. Bridge the gap.
Relationships grow during the pre- and post-meeting chitchat. Consider how often you've engaged in a conversation as you filtered into a room before a meeting started. Think back on how many decisions were made in the post-meeting chatter as you stand up after a meeting and prepare to leave the room. Sidebar conversations are where relationships are built and ideas are uncovered. Virtual participants miss out on these crucial conversations, so it is up to you to bridge the gap.
Show up a few minutes early to open the virtual bridge allowing participants to join early and participate in the conversation as people enter the room. Before the meeting, introduce all attendees and encourage discussion among all participants.
After the meeting ends, don’t just immediately end the call. Instead, keep the bridge open and let online participants remain on the screen. This provides a more natural transition than just abruptly ending the call, kicking participants out of the meeting.
3. Follow up and through.
Even when hybrid meetings are managed well, details may fall through the cracks. It is hard to know when someone online missed a comment or question from someone in the room. Instead, make an effort to summarize the meeting and ensure everyone remains on the same page. Immediately following the meeting, send a follow-up email to recap discussion highlights, questions and next steps.
Also, ask for participant feedback. Connect with an online participant to ask their opinion on how the meeting went from their point of view. Find out if they could hear all the in-person conversations or felt heard when they spoke up. The feedback will give you the perspective needed to prepare for the next hybrid call.
To maximize your impact and influence in a hybrid workplace, be intentional about including everyone. Ask for moderation help, provide an opportunity for attendees to connect and follow through to keep everyone on the same page. These three simple tips will help ensure your attendees are heard, can connect and get the most from your hybrid meeting.
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