Tips for better WebEx Conferences - Or Video Conferences in General...

People seem to think that because we've called a meeting, everything will just take care of itself. That's where they're wrong! Meetings require leadership - not necessarily Robert's Rules of Order leadership (egad, shudder to think of those hours spent in the Student Senate...) but some kind of direction. Here are a few pointers, from one who is in/part of/attends a LOT of meetings. Heck, I do work for a company that provides a serious meeting platform...

1. Bring an Agenda (what are we here to do???) Regardless of what the format is - Powerpoint, Keynote, Notepad, etc - make up some kind of bullet list. People LIKE bullets. They like things synthesized for their consumption- the salient, important points. Outline the basic framework of what's supposed to happen in the meeting, and show it to everyone.

2. Show Yourself! - Use your web conferencing tool's video option. This lends seriousness and credibility - if you're not willing to show yourself, it makes people wonder what color your pajamas are (the ones that you're obviously sitting at home in, in front of the television no doubt!). Don't have camera options with your web conference? Get WebEx.

3. Annotate (Draw & Text on the Screen!) Use the marker and text tools to highlight and outline what is important. Change and adjust the agenda, or add to it as people make comments. You can also let your attendees use these tools simultaneously for brainstorming & planning sessions. For example, in our team meetings there is a specific agenda item called "feedback." Our manager opens up a blank slide, and turns on the annotation tools for everyone- then asks us to throw out words and ideas about how he can help us be more successful- with the idea that nothing is off-limits, but that if you put up something heavy, just be ready to discuss!

4. Follow-Through - on movie sets there is a dedicated person who watches for continuity- IE to make sure that props, wardrobe and makeup are consistent from scene to scene. In meetings we need to have similar people- someone who's specific job it is to make sure we have targets set for what happens next. Don't forget to either snap a quick screenshot or record important points of the meeting. If your conferencing provider doesn't offer this option, you can always click "Print Screen" (it's above the number pad) and then Control-V to Paste it into either Word or Powerpoint as a captured image. Also, there are tons of free screen capture tools out there that let you record directly from your desktop, and end up with a video. You can use some of the converter tools from my earlier post to convert to other formats.

5. Encourage Participation - ASK QUESTIONS! "does that make sense," "are we all on board," "does anyone have any questions," "do you think that's a good idea?"