Business meetings are an important part of the corporate culture. They provide an opportunity for team members to discuss current projects, brainstorm new ideas, and make decisions in a collaborative, structured setting. They are also used to keep everyone informed of the progress of the ongoing projects and to ensure that all employees have the same understanding of their goals. However, there are some mistakes that can completely ruin the purpose; some of them are listed below:

The more, the merrier

Don’t invite everyone to the meeting. The more people there are, the more unwieldy the conversation will surely get. Send out your invites to the right people. Business Matters says it’s a good idea to keep it to somewhere around 5 to 7.

Not doing the math

Take a headcount of the number of people you have invited for the meeting and check whether or not there is the availability of sufficient resources to accommodate them all. This is important because nobody would appreciate competing for space or chairs and it would look absolutely unprofessional. So, do your math to decide where to host the meeting. If required, consider renting a meeting space on wemeet.nl in a nearby location.

Deciding on your own

The worst thing about meetings is trying to decide everything on your own. Remember that no one goes to the moon alone. It takes teamwork to get there and so will you. Always take your team’s input-their ideas, needs, and suggestions-into account.

Settling for just any tool

Don’t just go for any kind of video conferencing service you find. Take the time to research your options. A basic system might not be enough to handle the needs of your organization while one with too many bells and whistles might be too complicated to use. Always check and review any available options before you decide on a system. Online business meetings with the BlueJeans software is a sound option. With a bevy of handy and easy to use features, this one seems to be tailor-made to fit the needs of many organizations.

Not checking the system

Don’t log onto the meeting when you only have minutes to spare. If you need to upgrade or install an update, you might not be able to log on right on time. That’s not going to make your team happy. Make sure nothing will get in the way of your meeting by logging in early in the day. If there are any problems or issues, you still have time to fix them all until the meeting.

Zero practice

If you’re busy trying to figure out how to mute the mike or share a document, that’s going to mess up your concentration during the meeting. If you want to concentrate on what everyone else is saying, be sure to practice with the system beforehand. With lots of practice, you can operate the system with ease. That means you’d be able to deal with minor problems or issues as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Not minding your body language

One of the best things about video is that it gives you a clear view of the person on the other end of the camera. You can easily get a gauge on their reactions and interest by reading their body language. Expressions and other cues make it easy to know if they’re engaged with the meeting or not. However, that works for you too. If you’re slouching in your seat, that could indicate a lack of respect for the speaker, says the Business Insider. That’s not the kind of impression you want to send out to everyone on your team. Stay attentive and be mindful of your body language.

Not locking the door

You’ve probably seen the viral video of how two kids just waltzed into a room and interrupted their dad while he was on a live interview with BBC. While that gave us a few solid moments of hilarious entertainment, that might not go over swell with your clients. If you’re home and you have curious kids or pets, lock the door. These should keep them out until the meeting is done.

Eating

Don’t want your colleagues to focus on how loud you chew? Then stop eating during meetings. It’s unprofessional and highly distracting. If you’re hungry, wait until the meeting is over to nosh on a snack. You might want to take a few sips of water to tide you over.

Setting a meeting

It can be a mistake to set up a meeting in the first place if you don’t need one at all. Ask yourself if you really need to discuss what’s on your ‘agenda.’ If you’re just updating everyone and think an email will do just as well, then go with that. Unless there are issues you want to raise, avoid wasting your team’s time with too many meetings.

Final word of advice

Don’t be your worst enemy. See how these 10 mistakes can help steer clear of trouble so you can keep your video meetings on a productive, pleasant and professional keel.

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