Leading Virtual Meetings

Before the Meeting

1. If you are involved in selecting meting times, be aware of time zone differences for your committee members. In some cases, some people may need to be asked to participate in a meeting during a time that are not typical for their work day. Be respectful of this, and make sure people are not asked to do that on a regular basis. It may be necessary to stagger meeting times to accommodate everyone. 
2. Send out an agenda in advance if possible. When creating the agenda:
   1. Focus on the topics that need to be discussed by the full committee. Other items can be discussed via email with a smaller group. 
   2. Put the most critical items at the top
   3. If the discussion will be lengthy, give people as much heads up as possible, asking them to brainstorm in advance and bring their ideas to the call. 

During the Meeting

1. Encourage committee members to use their video when possible. This enhances the interaction and helps people focus. However, if committee members are not comfortable doing so, don't push them.
2. Conduct introductions at the beginning of the first meeting, as well as when new people join the committee. Ice breakers can be used as a way to get to know people and set a positive tone, however they should be kept to a minimum so they don't impact the agenda timing. Keep in mind that some people don't care for ice breakers, so keep them brief, utilizing the chat, polls, or other tools. 
3. Encourage people to mute their audio when they are not speaking. This minimizes background noise and ensure everyone can be heard. 
4. Assign a note taker. It’s best not to try and chair the meeting while taking notes, as it can be distracting. Some committees will ask a volunteer to be the note taker throughout the year; others will rotate for each meeting. Encourage the note taker to send the notes as quickly after the meeting as possible so they can serve as a reminder for action items. 
5. Start and end on time. This may mean starting the meeting before latecomers arrive, or ending before a decision is made. But, it’s important to let the volunteers know that you are respect their time and that the meetings will not conflict with other appointments they may have. 
6. Give everyone a chance to be heard. Sometimes volunteers who are very passionate about a particular subject may unknowingly dominate the conversation. In cases like these, the committee chair may need to ask if there is anyone else who hasn’t had a chance to speak about a certain topic. 
7. Summarize action steps at the end of the meeting, or in a subsequent email. This helps ensure everyone is on the same page and nothing falls through the cracks.