Due to the tense epidemiological situation, holding meetings in electronic form is very relevant and even necessary for prompt decision-making of a different nature. At the online meeting, using the information system, all issues related to the competence of the general meeting of owners can be resolved.
Benefits of remote board meetings
The following advantages of remote meetings of managers should be highlighted:
- Saving time. You do not waste time coming to the office to discuss all the current issues of the company. Now it is enough to get a smartphone out of your pocket, being anywhere. And after the communication session, calmly continue to do your business.
- Ease of use. In most software, you can easily figure it out in just a few sessions. All you need is a smartphone, tablet, or computer to use it.
- Any number of people can participate in meetings, it depends on the chosen program and the preferred tariff plan. Usually, even in the basic tariffs, there are enough opportunities for a board meeting.
- Solving business issues is much easier during video contacts. You can see your interlocutor, navigate in his reactions to what is happening. In addition, focusing on communication is much easier when the interlocutor is visible.
- Current data encryption systems allow you not to worry about the integrity of transmitted documents, electronic signatures, and the confidentiality of participants.
Benefits of online voting
Compared to the traditional form of holding an event, online voting has several undeniable advantages:
- Eliminated the risk of manipulation with votes. Now it becomes simply impossible to falsify decisions, signatures of owners.
- Simplification of the quorum collection procedure. There is no problem making a vote for someone who cannot physically attend the general meeting. Little is needed to solve the problem: just a mobile device and access to the Global Network.
- Reduction of time spent on preparatory activities, collection of decisions. Now there is no risk of violating the rules for notification of an upcoming event, errors in making a decision, counting votes, etc.
Online voting has the main advantage – the minimum number of personal contacts. This moment becomes especially relevant during the period of the rapid spread of coronavirus infection. Fewer contacts mean a lower risk of infection.
How to make remote meetings more efficient
The following tips will help you make your meetings as productive as possible.
Focus on meeting preparation
In addition to reviewing standard meeting materials, file-sharing services and secure communication platforms can be used to ask follow-up questions in real-time. This allows all board members to get a three-dimensional view of the materials and reduces the time for additional questions during the meetings. The meetings themselves will become shorter and more focused.
Shorten and focus your board meeting agenda
Virtual meetings get tiring quickly, so we suggest building agendas with a 15-minute time limit. The days of 45-minute PowerPoint presentations are over (hopefully forever).
With limited time, board members and top management are focused on the agenda item, and not on checking SMS messages on the phone.
Spread board meetings over one or two weeks
By spreading agenda items over several meetings, directors can raise important strategic issues at the first meeting and use the time before next week’s session to reflect and gather information to move the dialogue forward.
Build trust
Relations between members of the board of directors and comfort in communication are “forged” during informal meetings – lunches and coffee breaks. Such conditions should be reproduced for the virtual context as well.