Before: know why you are meeting
The first question to ask is simple: is this meeting necessary? If the information can be shared in writing, a message will do. If you keep the meeting, state its purpose in one sentence: to inform, decide, solve a problem, or build an idea together. That sentence goes in the invitation, along with the agenda, the duration, and any documents to read beforehand.
Limit the attendee list to people who have a contribution to make or a decision to take. Everyone else will receive the meeting notes.
At the start: set the frame in two minutes
Start on time, even if someone is missing. Restate the purpose, the agenda, and the duration. Appoint a timekeeper and someone to note the decisions. Online, also spell out the practical ground rules:
- microphone muted when you are not speaking;
- camera on if the connection allows it;
- questions in the chat or by raising a hand, depending on the size of the group.
These rules prevent people from talking over each other and awkward silences.
During: get people involved without forcing them
The main risk online is the monologue: participants tune out, check their messages, and come back only when called on. Vary the ways people can take part. Ask each person a question in turn, run a quick poll, ask everyone to write down an idea in the chat before discussing it, use a shared document to draft together.
Call on quieter people by name, with a specific question they can answer, for example “What risk do you see on this point?” rather than “Do you have anything to add?” Also steer back discussions that drift off topic: note the question in a separate space and pick the thread up again.
Finally, think about duration: a long meeting in front of a screen often makes attention drop. If the topic is broad, split it into two short sessions, or plan a five-minute break. A meeting that ends a little earlier than planned is always welcome.
At the end: wrap up and set next steps
Keep the last five minutes to recap: decisions made, actions to take, the owner of each action, the deadline. Read them aloud so everyone can check they understood the same thing. Send the meeting notes the same day, as a short list. A meeting with no written follow-up has to be held again.
A few mistakes to avoid
- inviting too many people just in case;
- planning an agenda that is too packed for the time available;
- sharing your screen for too long without interaction;
- not naming an owner for the actions decided.
A template for short meeting notes
So that everyone knows where to find the essentials, always use the same structure: date and attendees, decisions made, actions with owner and deadline, items postponed to the next meeting. A few lines are enough. This regular format has another advantage: it forces you to clarify decisions during the meeting rather than afterward, when memories already differ.
If you run recurring meetings, occasionally ask participants what they would change. Two minutes of feedback at the end of one session a month is enough to adjust the duration, the pace, or the guest list, and to keep everyone engaged over time.
Going further
The Facilitating Online Meetings course covers the points specific to the remote format. To review the basics of organizing and running a meeting, Effective & Engaging Meetings is a good starting point. You will find all our other courses in our course catalog.
At your next meeting, try just one of these practices, for example the final recap, and see the difference it makes to the clarity of the follow-up.
