Tips and best
practices for
virtual meetings

Around the world, businesses, federal agencies, students and families are impacted by the pandemic we are facing. The way we work is evolving, and Verizon and carriers are also evolving to meet the needs of our customers. With the spike in work-from-home employees, many companies are adopting and increasing their use of virtual meeting services to stay connected. Verizon is also seeing changes in the patterns and types of usage on our network.

Verizon, our partners and other service providers are continuously adapting to these changes to best serve our customers. There are things that companies and employees can do to help.

Here are a few tips to improve the performance of virtual meeting services:

• Avoid starting calls at the top of the hour. With most calls scheduled to start on the hour, spikes in connections occur at these times. Consider starting meetings at 10 or 15 minutes after the hour.
• Encourage video use whenever possible. Given the new hybrid environment, encourage people to turn on their video cameras whether they are attending a meeting in person or remotely.
• Limit meeting participants. More attendees often can mean more difficulty running meetings and adds congestion on the networking platform. Consider using the record features in conferencing tools to share information with others not in attendance.
• Be aware of what else is connected on your network. Video gaming, streaming and other activities could impact your connection.
• Check your Wi-Fi configuration. If you have a dual-band router, consider using the 5GHz band instead of the 2.4GHz for higher data rates and performance.
• Try computer-based audio. If you have trouble dialing into a call, try using the option for audio from your computer.

The success of your virtual meeting goes beyond your network performance. Upgrade your virtual meetings with these online meeting tips and stay connected with your team wherever you’re located.

• Pick the right technology. Depending on your needs, there are a variety of collaboration solutions on the market, such as WebEx or Microsoft Teams. Select one that has the features you need, such as smart meetings with highlights, which enable those who can’t attend the meeting to access important information.
• Have a clear purpose. Make sure there is a reason to meet and that people understand why you’re meeting.
• Avoid lunch hour, or late in the day. Be considerate of people’s time. While no one time will always work for everyone, when possible, be respectful of people’s lunch hour as well as late in the day when people are likely to be tired and less attentive.
• Avoid scheduling back-to-back meetings. Research shows that online meetings can be more draining than in-person meetings, so avoid scheduling back-to-back meetings when possible. If it can’t be avoided, provide a 15-minute break.
• Start on time, end on time. Get in the habit of starting and ending meetings on time, or even ending early. Encourage people to log on a couple of minutes in advance, so everyone is ready to start at the allotted time.

Following are some best practices for running effective virtual meetings.

• Prepare an agenda in advance and distribute supporting materials. An agenda let’s people know what to expect and come prepared. It also helps to keep everyone on track.
• Set expectations in advance. Communicate meeting expectations. For example, is everyone expected to have their camera turned on? If so, make sure people know that. Request that people mute themselves when they aren’t speaking, and raise their hand or use the chat feature when they have something to say.
•  Stay focused. Efficiency is the name of the game, so minimize distractions. Turn off email and instant message notifications. Don’t multitask.
• Engage everyone. Take steps to help to ensure no one feels left out of the conversation, especially those who are introverted. Go around the virtual room and call on people to make sure you get everyone’s input. In hybrid meetings, remember to involve those who are not physically present. You may need to specifically request their input.