Business Continuity: Effective Remote Meetings

Remote Meetings: Keeping People Around The World Connected

At present, remote meetings are being used by individuals and businesses around the world more than ever. Covid-19 has presented many lifestyle and business continuity challenges to everyone, making us seek alternative ways to stay connected.

Remote meetings are where people in different locations use video and audio conferencing online to connect and hold a meeting online.

What Do You Need To Hold A Remote Meeting

• Video conferencing software
• Video conferencing hardware
• Monitor/display
• Computer/laptop

Steps For Holding An Effective Remote Meeting

1. Choose your video conferencing software.

There is some awesome video conferencing software available. Some popular choices, along with their key features, are:

• GoTo Meeting: mobile-friendly, good apps, VoiP upgrade;
• Cyberlink U Meeting: free tier, no download required, lots of features;
• Zoom Meetings: free tier, user friendly, security could be better;
• Bluejeans: 30-day free trial, dolby voice support analytics; and,
• Google Hangouts Meet:
• G Suite integration, accessible, simple, competitive pricing.

2. Invite attendees.

Consider whether or not people are in different time zones when you are setting up your meeting. In terms of how long to allocate in the calendar for the meeting, meetings should generally be no longer than one hour as people tend to lose focus after too long.

Additionally, meetings break up the work cycle and take people’s time away from their tasks and responsibilities. Be mindful of people’s time and try to be as deliberate as possible about scheduling.

3. Write and distribute a meeting agenda.

A meeting agenda outlines the topics that will be discussed in the meeting and allocates the amount of time available to each. It lets attendees know what to expect in advance so that everyone can be prepared and also gives everyone a chance to make sure that everything needing to be discussed is included.

4. Assign a remote meeting facilitator.

Like when they are held face-to-face, remote meetings can also get off track very quickly and one of the biggest challenges can be ensuring that everyone gets to participate and is heard.

A meeting facilitator guides the conversation, keeps things on track and makes sure that everyone is afforded the opportunity to speak without interruption.

5. Allow time to catch up.

Allow for time at the beginning of the meeting for attendees to catch up, introduce themselves and have a bit of a general conversation with each other. This facilitates stronger connections between attendees and helps keep everyone connected.

6. Follow remote meeting etiquette.

There are a few rules to follow when attending meetings via video conferencing. Firstly, you should make sure that you arrive on time. You should also avoid distractions, like emails or other tasks, during the meeting.

7. Create a meeting summary.

Once the meeting is over, create a summary with a specific list of action items and deliverables discussed. Send the meeting summary out to everyone involved so that all attendees are aware of what the next steps are and who is responsible for what.

8. Send out a recording of the meeting.

Sending out a recording of the meeting lets people catch up on anything they may have missed and allows them to revisit anything they need to. This ensures clarity around the outcomes and action items from the meeting.

Business Continuity And Risk Management

An effective business plan should include planning for business continuity and risk management. There are many different risks that a business may need to prepare for. Things like IT breakdowns, cyber attacks, natural disasters, supply chain issues or staff leaving.

Above all, one of the biggest risks to most businesses right now is the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated economic downturn.

An external event, posing a risk to your business, can happen at any time. To avoid disruption and possibly even business failure, you need to be prepared. Being prepared will help you to combat these risks and minimize disruption to your business.

ISO 22301: Business Continuity

ISO 22301 is the International standard for business continuity. Planning for when a disaster strikes positions a business to have a more effective response and successful recovery.

Revised in late 2019, ISO 22301 is designed to implement easily into existing management processes. Certification to the standard is not a requirement. However, certification lets people know that your organisation meets the criteria of the standard. Find out more about ISO 22301 Business Continuity. Click here and download the ISO 22301 publication from the ISO website.

How Can We Help?

QSM Group offers a diverse range of services to assist your business with risk management and business continuity planning, as well as ISO compliance and certification. Contact us today to see how we can help.