An online board meeting is a type of video meeting that is attended by remote participants. The aim of virtual meetings is to make it more accessible to those who cannot attend in person due to commitments to work, health issues or time limitations.
Participating via a remote connection has many advantages, including saving on travel costs and also reducing time lost due to scheduling conflicts. There are certain differences between a digital and an in-person meeting that could affect the quality of the discussion.
It can be difficult to recognize visual cues like facial expressions and body language when you’re not in the same room with other participants. This can decrease the level of participation in an online board meeting, especially when board members aren’t comfortable with the technology or are having trouble using it.
One option is to introduce a feature similar to whiteboards in the boardroom program to inspire participants to collaborate and contribute. Another option is recording the meeting, so board members who can’t attend can review the meeting minutes later. Recordings are also helpful for sharing with new board members.
To ensure that everyone can hear and see clearly during the virtual meeting, it’s essential to run a technology test prior to the start of the call. You can avoid issues during meetings by checking for things such as computer software updates as well as camera settings and microphone settings. It’s a good idea to ask meeting availability everyone to turn off themselves when not speaking as this helps to silence any background sounds or distractions.