Remote meetings are an essential element of collaboration, especially for teams with distributed members. If you fail to adhere to the proper protocol for meetings they may be less productive than in-person meetings. Virtual meetings can benefit from a variety of the same methods used to make in-person meetings efficient and engaging. Here are 13 tips from Forbes Coaches Council members on how to run an effective remote meeting

1. Use an agenda.

To avoid being lost in the conversation, begin your meeting with an organized agenda. If possible, create an agenda in advance, incorporating input from attendees, and present it at beginning of the meeting.

2. Encourage everyone to speak up.

In online meetings, some participants may be reluctant to participate because they worry about dominating the discussion or being interrupted. You might want to consider using a conference call camera and microphone that will filter out background noises, and amplify everyone’s voice equally. Make sure to ask comments or questions at the end of the meeting to ensure everyone in the room is heard.

3. Focus on action items and follow up.

Too often, meetings leave with a vague list of actions and no clear follow-up plan. To avoid this, you must decide what actions you’ll boardmeetingonline.net/how-powerful-data-room-ma-may-be/ document and then followed-up at the start of a meeting. Then, you can review them at its end. It’s also recommended to schedule follow-up individual meetings or a team meeting within a reasonable time frame.