What Will Meetings Look Like Post-Coronavirus
Slowly, companies and organizations in the country and the world are now opening back up and returning to the office for work. However, everything is far from normal and with certain adjustments and safeguards in place, the question is: what will meetings look like post-coronavirus?
The usual meeting setup will no longer be applicable as the pandemic stirs. Certain aspects will have to change, and new measures will need to be implemented for the safety of many. Here’s how meetings will be like post-coronavirus:
Limited in-person attendees
Capacities of physical meeting rooms will be slashed in half — a conference room that can fit up to 50 people for a meeting might only have room for 20 post-coronavirus. Social distancing has to be imposed on the daily and a crowded meeting room will not do you or your team any good. What you need to do is determine which people are necessary for the meeting so that you can communicate and collaborate with ample preparation.
Sanitary stations
Small sanitary stations should be placed in watering holes for everyone to use anytime. Sanitizers should be placed beside the main entry point and alcohol and wipes should be available on the conference table or anywhere near the presentation area. It will be important to stay sanitized before, during, and after any meeting.
Use of large conference call services
Conference calling services will also be a big part of post-coronavirus meetings. Since conference rooms won’t be used with maximum seating capacity, you’re going to need to connect to other team members virtually to keep communication lines open. A large conference call service that can handle up to 5,000+ participants will help you reach team members for that important All Hands meeting. With this, your company, organization, or a single department can have a meeting even when others are stationed elsewhere.
Online follow-up
Follow-up for meetings will also be mostly done online. Since social distancing is observed, you might not be able to meet one-on-one with your colleague or other employees. You need to start practicing online follow-ups. You can do this via email, phone call, group chat, online whiteboard, and more. With today’s technology, you can easily follow up with any online collaborative tool.
Agenda as a staple in meetings
If you haven’t been using agendas, you will now need to make it a staple in meetings post-coronavirus. An agenda is a great way to tap those who are needed in person for the meeting while also keeping everybody else in the loop. This also allows your team to be more prepared and focused for this new kind of setup.
Checking attendees for symptoms and handling them
It will also be necessary to check meeting attendees for symptoms from now on. You need to check for symptoms and take the necessary precautions to keep you and your team safe. Check temperatures, check for colds, coughs, or sore throat. If someone is displaying symptoms, have them skip the meeting for now. Point them to the company nurse or doctor so that they can be assessed and properly attended.
Cleaning and disinfecting
More frequent cleaning and disinfecting will be critical for meetings. Conference rooms and other meeting places should be cleaned and disinfected well before and after the meeting. This will help prevent the possible transmission of the virus. Remember that your safety is still important and should be prioritized as your company adjusts to the new normal.
You and some of your team might be back in the office, but the pandemic is still here. Make sure you’re prepared and are doing everything to make sure your meetings are safe as they can be.