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Beyond Borders: The Nuances of Virtual Meetings
Updated: March 14th, 2024.
What was once considered a privilege is now an important determinant for employers. Virtual or online meetings are shaping up amid a major digital revolution. The intricate threads of digitalization are knitting together with other aspects to build a unique economic space far from what we envisioned. Hence, the value of global video conferencing increases by billions annually as businesses grapple with the challenges of meeting culture.
While this form of business communication was already changing, the pandemic only aggravated it. And while it may not be referred to as a vigilance tool anymore, virtual meetings are breaking new ground for business operations. Many businesses are reaching unassailable heights they could never have achieved with physical meetings.
So, should your business adjust to the virtual meeting culture? While the benefits may immediately sell out, you may draw the line for the specific challenges you’ll encounter. Read more as we explain virtual meetings' effect on your business.
Advantages of Virtual Meetings
1. Accessibility and convenience
Virtual meetings offer ultimate convenience for stakeholders who work around the clock. If your business’s operations cover different countries, you can have regular, intensive meetings through video conferencing. You can follow up on your business goals and their implementation without booking flights or accommodation.
Also, your busy employees or partners who never have time for travel may find virtual meetings a great time saver. There is much to reap from a geographically dispersed workforce; virtual meetings are one steering wheel. Talk of a service that your employees can access at their fingertips.
2. Cost savings
If you’ve convened physical meetings before, you’ll agree they go heavy on costs and time. First, urgent business matters requiring immediate resolution will go unattended or be delayed. Secondly, your workers may take longer to book their flights or spend too much on unbooked flights. All this shrinks your profits while it could have catered to other essential business needs.
There are other challenges associated with traveling, like climate-associated diseases. So, the meeting might not be as productive as expected when some of your employees end up in the hospital, yet you can evade all these with a solid remedy.
3. Time efficiency
Managers worldwide have a common problem regarding traditional in-person meetings - time management. Physical meetings take longer than expected because participants tend to go off-topic, and some might not comply with the set time limit. However, with virtual meetings, the host is more in control, as the control panel also involves muting and disconnecting calls, among other options.
The host can ensure every participant is on mute as the manager talks, allowing them to cover the matters in question 100%. The convener can also easily eliminate derailing from the topic.
4. Global collaboration
Traditional in-person meetings have geographical restrictions for your business operations. This means you’ll likely meet employees from the same locality, attracting clients to your business. However, virtual meetings go a long way toward diversifying your services. For instance, employees from a particular country can customize the services to their norms, all under your direct supervision.
Virtual meetings allow you to meet employees from different walks of life with varying levels of talent and salary preferences. Hence, you add highly talented people to your team without chunking much from your business profits. As a result, your business could become a miniature world of happy, convenient employees.
5. Flexibility and adaptability
Virtual meetings can align with any schedule since they are the solution if you’ve found it hard to schedule physical meetings because some key participants will miss them. Video conferencing allows employees to plan their schedules and meetings regardless of their time zone.
Besides, your business can accommodate different work styles, including remote. This allows your employees to do much more alongside their assigned roles. If you’re a research company, you could send your employees for field research and host virtual meetings for daily briefings. As such, your business operations will run without delays or waiting for the researchers’ return.
6. Enhanced collaboration tools
As the digital world evolves, tools have been invented to optimize the virtual meeting experience. Integration of such tools makes the meetings feel almost physical, more engaging, and interactive. Participants can communicate seamlessly through these tools, which feature high-quality video and audio. Businesses can adopt screen-sharing and annotation tools for high-end presentations, whereas breakout rooms are used for group discussions.
If you’re looking forward to adding new members to your teams, tools such as pre-built templates, online whiteboards, visual thinking tools, etc., are essential.
7. Environmental impact
Virtual meetings are an environmentally friendly way to enhance your business operations. You can help the world minimize carbon footprints by reducing the amount of travel by air, road, or more.
For instance, you’ll need to get refreshments after physical in-person meetings. These will include plastic bags and bottles for drinks, whose disposal may contribute to the greenhouse effect. But with virtual meetings, you can make the world a friendly place to stay and scale your business.
Disadvantages of Virtual Meetings
1. Technical challenges
Virtual meetings rely on a stable internet connection and high-quality equipment to run smoothly. In some cases, participants may encounter challenges like compatibility with the software used, synchronization of video/audio, unstable connections, and other technical glitches.
Members living in low-internet areas will always miss out on virtual meetings. Besides, specific software requires high internet speeds to run. This means members in low-internet areas may never register 100% attendance at virtual meetings. As such, having a full-house, effective meeting may be complicated.
2. Lack of personal interaction
Virtual meetings, though they enhance long-distance communication, leave out important aspects. Such aspects include facial expression, which impacts the weight of your message and may make your meetings bland.
3. Meeting fatigue
Meeting fatigue is a sense of mental and physical tiredness when following virtual meetings. This happens because video conferencing facilitates only one type of communication. This communication lacks body language, an essential aspect of making the meeting lively and interactive.
Besides, constant meeting interruptions or distractions may contribute to meeting fatigue because members have to make a whole effort to understand the point being put across. Long meetings will also cause meeting fatigue, reducing the concentration span of participants.
4. Security and privacy concerns
Online meetings have a high security risk, especially when integrated with third-party apps. Besides, unauthorized users can easily infiltrate them and leak confidential business information. Hence, a vigilant security system is needed for all your communication platforms.
5. Difficulty reading social cues
Virtual meetings create a chance to doubt or misinterpret someone’s message. Non-verbal cues help add emotion and weight to the message in question. Besides, they help add intention and attitude, which create rapport. A lack of social cues can lead to misunderstandings, which defeats the whole idea of having a meeting.
6. Limited team-building opportunities
While advanced video conferencing features make virtual meetings feel almost physical, they have a cap. Activities like team building, group discussions, brainstorming sessions, etc., require physical meetings to enhance communication, strengthen relationships, and foster collaboration.
7. Over-reliance on technology
Virtual meetings are difficult to facilitate because not all users have the same technology and physical resources. If there is a technological failure, an unstable internet connection, or a lack of a backup plan, a user may be unable to access the meeting or experience breakouts.
Balancing Virtual & In-Person Meetings
Virtual meetings can make a difference for your business if certain matters are to be considered. However, in some cases, physical meetings prove better than virtual ones. If you’re handling meetings that require eye-to-eye contact and building better relationships, then physical meetings are better. Such meetings include brainstorming, team-building, workshops, practical training, etc.
Tips for Effective Virtual Meetings
Virtual meetings are a convenient way for teams to connect from different locations. To make them more effective, follow these tips.
1. Use powerful presentation tools
Employ powerful meeting tools like shared annotations, page synchronization, laser pointer tools, etc., to enhance boardroom performance, collaboration, and productivity.
2. Reinforce security
Recruit a security service that complies with industry-level regulations to establish board security and confidentiality.
3. Improve interaction
Break the meeting time into smaller segments and add breakout discussion groups in between. Tools like quizzes, polls, and visual aids will encourage every member to participate actively.
Conclusion
Virtual meetings are the lifeblood of any modern business. Besides, technology has intervened with helpful tools to enhance interaction and customize the experience. Such tools include visual aids that eliminate boredom, allowing facilitators to complete various tasks virtually. Hence, businesses can train their new employees online without meeting them physically.
However, you may experience some challenges with this form of communication when you have an unstable internet connection or face technical glitches. Therefore, assess your business needs to determine when you most need virtual meetings and when you don’t need them.
With these practices in mind, choosing the best VoIP provider for your business is now possible by reading our reviews and using our comparison tool for comprehensive overviews. Additionally, check out our blog page for exclusive insights into the industry.