5 Types Of Online Meetings

OBJECTIVE

Everyone needs to understand the different objectives that each meeting has. This is the reason that you’re having the meeting, and it lets people know how to prepare, what to expect, and how to participate.

PARTICIPATION

Participation is the way that your team will behave during the meeting. Different meetings require different types of behavior from the people participating. From low-level participation (mostly listening), to high-level participation (actively sharing and taking part). When people know how they are expected to participate, they properly prepare and adjust their behavior appropriately.

DEBRIEFING

Debriefing at the end of a meeting provides an overview of what was discussed, and an action plan for moving forward. This is a crucial step that often gets overlooked. It’s important to take a moment to wrap things up with purpose. It not only acts as a great refresher, but it allows us to set up an action plan to achieve our goals and stay productive.

INTERACTION

Interaction is the way in which the Meeting Lead expects people to take part. Certain meetings require the Meeting Lead to guide interaction, moving the speaking conch from one person to the next, inviting people to share their thoughts or experiences. Other meetings make room for interaction on a voluntary or discretionary basis, with participants speaking up when they have an idea or something to say.

MEETING STRUCTURE

Every meeting should have a simple structure with a beginning, a middle, and an end. This gets your team ready to go from the top, brings them in on the action, and gives them a sense of accomplishment and purpose when it’s all over.

No matter what type of meeting you’re running, it should include a welcome, the core content, a debriefing, and a closing. Depending on the type of meeting, it can also be helpful to include some icebreakers, energizers, or warm-ups to get your team in the right space to get things done.

WELCOME
The official start of the meeting. This is a chance for everyone to say “Hello” and for the Meeting Lead to introduce the objective of the meeting.

CORE CONTENT
The main material of your meeting. This varies depending on the type of meeting you are running.

DEBRIEFING
A review of things that were discussed in the meeting. This not only serves as a reminder about what you’ve discussed, but it lets the participants raise any questions, thoughts, or concerns they have before the meeting adjourns.

CLOSING
A quick “thank you” from all participants, and closing words of encouragement from the Meeting Lead. This helps to send everyone on their way with positivity and purpose.

MEETING AGENDA

Making an agenda helps the organizers of the meeting to keep things on track. An agenda doesn’t have to be particularly detailed, but it should be organized and structured. If there is more than one person leading the meeting, assign the tasks to the appropriate person with their initials in brackets (EG).

Depending on the type of meeting, it might be helpful to include a rough estimate of the amount of time that is allotted for each point on the agenda. And if there are any materials that need to be shared, include the appropriate links (with labels) in the agenda before the meeting starts.

EVENT INVITATIONS

Making and sharing the calendar event is an important part of organizing a meeting. It’s always a good idea to let your team see the agenda before the meeting starts. Be sure that you are only inviting the people who should be in that meeting, so you don’t waste anybody’s working hours, or lose any productivity during the meeting. 

When making the event, give your team all the information needed to be ready. In the “notes” or “description” field, include the Meeting Type, Date, Time, Objective, and Meeting Lead in the agenda, even if that’s also in the calendar event. This helps people quickly get all of the information they need in one location. And don’t forget to include the link to where the virtual meeting is happening.