Depending
on the current situation of the corona virus pandemic, it is of great importance
to carry on the essential services such as electricity, water, food supply, telecommunication
and healthcare without interruptions to keep the country and its economy
running. It seems likely that online meetings will play a major role in our day
today lives soon since it goes hand in hand with work-from-home and social
distancing concepts during this pandemic season. It will be a worthwhile and
more effective step to shift to virtual meetings instead of conventional
face-to-face in-person meetings.
The
figure shows how the leaders of G7 member countries (USA, Canada, Germany,
France, UK, Japan and Italy) met online to discuss about strategies for
combating COVID-19.
An
online or a virtual meeting is a meeting between two or more participants in
different locations communicating face-to-face through a virtual platform
created using computers and an internet connection. Wide range of options such
as Skype for Business, Zoom, Join.me, Cisco Webex and Adobe Connect can be used
for conducting online meetings.
The
monthly meetings, team discussions and other important meetings with
stakeholders and officials could be done via virtual meetings in situations
such as pandemics, natural disasters, climatic changes and when there is a need
to cut down travel expenses. Effective online meetings can deliver the same
positive outcomes which can be gained through traditional face-to-face
meetings.
Pros
and cons of online meetings
Pros: Easy access
Cost
effective
Time
saving
Platform
where individuals in different locations can communicate effectively and easily
Environmental
friendly (reduces the carbon footprint resulting from lesser travelling)
Cons: Limitations of technology
Lack
of knowledge and experience
Low
performance of participants
Lack
of concentration for the meetings
However,
online meetings can be considered as a possible means to encourage the practice
of concepts, work from home and social distancing during this pandemic
outbreak.
Shifting from traditional face-to-face meetings to online meetings…
The
idea of shifting from traditional face-to-face meetings to virtual meetings may
sound a bit challenging at first to most of the employees since they are not
used to such organizational culture. But this transition can be achieved
through proper planning of the meeting, use of proper technology and devices, motivation
and guidance given by the managerial staff.
A
suitable technology or a virtual platform should be selected to support the
meetings so that they will be secure, effective and uninterrupted. The meetings
must be well planned in advance in order to make them productive and to get the
most out of them. The objectives, information exchange, participants, time and
duration of the meeting are some such considerations. Certain rules and
processes to be maintained and respected during the online meetings should be
formulated to ensure a smooth flow of the meeting. The employees should be
given a proper understanding as to how the online meetings are conducted, their
advantages and should be motivated by emphasizing the chance of joining the
meetings from the comfort of their homes. As a result of all these, they might
be the early adapters of this new workplace concept.
Due
to the global health concerns over the corona virus, shifting to online meetings
can be considered as an intelligent and timely measure to keep the businesses
up and running while maintaining a sound economic condition within the
countries. If the virtual meetings are properly used in the business world,
they can lead to surprisingly effective outcomes while achieving the
pre-defined objectives.
Therefore,
all we need is a bit of courage to embrace the concept of online meetings and
move forward for a successful journey amidst all the obstacles!
I.D. Balahewa
Department of Electrical Engineering
University of Moratuwa
References
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