6 reasons virtual meetings are more efficient

Ezra Jaffe is head of the Treasury Management Group at Wintrust Bank, where he and his team are bringing integrated treasury management services to small business and middle market clients. He shares why virtual meetings are more successful and why leadership should adopt and encourage the use of video meeting platforms.

I can admit it. I love virtual meetings...and I think you should too.

I’m not talking about seminars. I’m not talking about virtual happy hours. I get bored and start multi-tasking real fast. I’m talking about meetings, and here’s why:

Cut back on travel time
I’m not just talking city to city: even eliminating street to street, floor to floor, and office to office can make a meeting more productive. It makes getting everyone in one place at one time that much easier.

On time. On schedule. On topic.
It starts with a great agenda—that’s shared in advance—and having the right attendees. Take thorough notes and share them right after the meeting, or even live on screen, with next steps included. And, make sure to start (and end) when you say you’re going to.

I really don’t care what you’re wearing (on internal meetings)
I also don’t care about your cat. Or, the books on your shelf. (I do remember that shirt with the competitor’s logo, though.) I care that you’re here, on screen, prepared, helping the task move forward. That’s it.

Seeing faces and expressions
I like seeing faces. It keeps all of us focused. I see when you want to talk. I see when you dip your head when you don’t like what I said. And, I see the occasional eye-roll. That additional informal feedback is valuable, even when it’s just though the screen. 

Note: None of this applies to sales or interviews. With sales, you need every chit chat and every distraction you can get for learning moments, probing, and relationship building. You need every nonverbal cue. There is no substitute for face-to-face. Okay, back to the post...

Screen-sharing on the fly
You really can’t do this one in person. Stuff comes up from different people. Not everything can be planned out, but on video, everyone can share their screen as it comes up for the benefit of the group. It’s such an effective tool.

Enhanced efficiency
Because of the above, meetings can be more efficient and help move a project along faster. I find with email, the endless replies and “CC-ing for visibility” are impossible to follow. When we are all on the line, stuff gets done, and there’s no passing the buck. 

At the end of the day, it’s all about enhancing communication and sharing ideas. So, embrace it. Show your face. Be prepared and get better work done.