|
Whether you are the primary leader of your ministry organization or one of many leaders, setting a culture for healthy and productive mobile meetings is partly your responsibility. By: Aaron Babyar March 2022  If you want to lead a team remotely, there’s a dynamic and growing list of items that you will want to put in your jar of mobile communication. The following might not be exhaustive, but these are certainly big rocks that can affect interactions which in turn might impact how likely you are to accomplish desired goals. These “big rocks'' can positively affect your remote team, but there are also negative risks that could arise from ignoring them. Big Rock 1- Technology One of the perhaps less obvious points that you need to consider about remote interaction is the proper use of technology. Just because everyone is using a computer or smart device does not mean that it is optimized. For example, sometimes wifi by itself can be too slow for video interaction, and though being wired with ethernet cables may be an initial hassle, they might make a significant improvement in your team’s interactions. Meanwhile, consider the hardware and software programs affecting engagement. Though you could possibly just use the baked-in technologies of a smart device or messaging app (such as Facetime, WhatsApp video, etc), are those really the best tool for hands-free communication which allows for note-taking, sipping coffee, and talking with your hands (some of us can’t help ourselves!).,etc? If you find your team repeatedly dealing with poor communication due to using usable but sometimes inferior technologies, it may be time to build or overhaul your technology plan so that communication is freer and easy going with less interruptions. Possible solution: Encourage team members to be in a consistent location using ethernet/computer for all planned team meetings, with proper lighting, using a proven group video software such as Zoom. Big Rock 2 - Time Management It’s crucial that you keep an eye on the clock. If you plan for an hour-long meeting, nobody will be upset if you get done early. If you plan for an hour-long meeting and it lasts 85 minutes, you are demanding people’s time in a way that might be more than just a little inconvenient, and mess up their work-life flow. It should be an extreme aberration for a mobile meeting to run long. Most find that they actually save time by watching the clock while working on clear goals. Meanwhile, time zones can have a significant impact on communication. I’ve had meetings with people 14 time zones ahead of me, where I needed to be on a video call by 4 a.m while they needed to be on at 6pm. I missed a bit of sleep, and they had a longer work day and/or may have needed to adjust their dinner time. Though it’s okay to have meetings at different times, consider that factor while planning. What may be a simple time adjustment for some, might be a big burden on others and changes may need to be considered over time. Big Rock 3 - Personal Preparation One of the cardinal rules of good meetings, whether mobile or in person, is that people must arrive already prepared for the discussion. When this doesn’t happen, mobile meetings begin to feel optional. It’s important to build a culture where there is a mutual responsibility to be ready for times together. Questions and concerns need to be clear for all involved, and unpreparedness or ambiguity could undercut progress. Why is this crucial? Team members being able to bring all issues to the table, when everyone is present at the appropriate time, could be the difference between a meeting lasting fifteen minutes instead of an hour of slow and messy collaboration. And it saves from future repetition or people feeling left out of important decisions. Preparation saves time for everyone! Big Rock 4 - Focus Narrowly Last but not least, stay on target! Meetings should not turn into something they’re not intended for. For instance, several years ago I partnered with a ministry where our consistent “90 minute meeting” would not go less than two and a half hours, primarily because the leader would often want to catch up with the members and ask about their personal lives instead of engaging with the planned topic. As kind hearted as this was, it would have been more understandable if the stated goal of the meeting was relationship building and prayer. However, that regularly scheduled meeting often ended up being a massive use of time where good vibes were shared all around, but little was accomplished beyond building community bathed in the frustration of needed action steps being overlooked. Setting and sticking to meeting goals can keep your team members happy and focused. And yes… its good to set mobile meetings that are only about relationship building too! Yet those interactions are going to go even better if they are planned for, and sometimes in real life face2face interactions such as on a staff retreat. Whether you are the primary leader of your ministry organization or one of many leaders, setting a culture for healthy and productive mobile meetings is partly your responsibility. If your meetings are feeling out of control and needing some helpful boundaries, consider this short but easy to read book: “Read this before our next meeting.” Aaron Babyar is the founder and CEO of Exago Ministries. To read more about Aaron, go to our Founders Story HERE. Comments are closed.
|
