Working on the probability that Zoom meetings are likely to become a permanent feature of Public Service life, QSuper has produced advice on how best to conduct them in a professional manner.
In a statement, the superannuation agency points out that it is not uncommon for Zoom calls to be made from living rooms, bedrooms and home offices.
“We’ve realised the productivity, health and lifestyle benefits of working remotely, while still recognising the importance of face-to-face connections,” QSuper said.
“To effectively plan for the future, businesses will need to continue to take both preferences into account,” it said,
“Employees will likely want to work from home more frequently, even though physical meetings will continue to be an important part of the workday.”
QSuper said a significant feature of the 2021 work environment would be that almost every physical meeting would include participants joining remotely.
It offered a number of tips to reduce distractions, boost professionalism and make virtual and hybrid meetings more productive.
Dealing first with totally virtual meetings, QSuper said the best advice was to be well organised beforehand; to limit disruption; stay on mute except when talking; look at the camera when talking; not to multitask; and to protect privacy.
It said that for hybrid meetings that combine face-to-face participants with others who link in remotely, planning and discipline was needed to manage the energy and attention of participants in both environments simultaneously.
It said invitations to the meeting should be made early; virtual participants should be asked to contribute first; and private conversations should be avoided.
In addition, QSuper advised organisers to always have a back-up plan such as an alternate platform or dial-in number, for situations when the virtual meeting platform fails.
