3 Things My Zoom Wedding Taught Me About Running Virtual Meetings

Saying “I Do” over Zoom!

If you asked me last February about getting married over Zoom, I would have laughed. Fast forward one year and I’m saying I do in front of a webcam!! 

We’ve all needed to continue to make adjustments to our everyday lives - which seems to include a lot more video chatting.  

Although exchanging vows differs greatly from hosting a team meeting at work, some of the same elements have the potential to go wrong. Whether you are on video or in person, one thing stays the same: it’s all about presence. 

Here are three lessons I followed to remain present during my wedding that you can steal for any virtual meeting:

1. Pay attention to where you are in relation to your camera. 

It’s easy to get lost in your train of thought and slowly move farther away from your camera. Remember, your audience can only see you through a tiny webcam! It’s hard for anyone to follow your presentation if you step out of frame or only show the top half of your face. 

2. Allow more time for response time than you might allow for at in-person meetings. 

Computers lag, audio goes in and out, this makes it tough for your audience to engage with you during the meeting. Prepare for longer pauses between topics and be ready with questions or prompts to get your team talking. Having an allotted discussion time gives everyone ample opportunity to respond to your presentation. 

3. Make space for real life to trickle in.

While you're hosting a meeting your dog might run into the room and start barking for attention, or maybe your baby starts crying from the other room. There are going to be instances where you get side-tracked while working out of your home office and that’s okay. Take a moment to address it, pause, and move on with the meeting. It’s important to not let outside distractions totally derail your meeting, while also acknowledging that real life happens! This helps to make your team less stressed about any interruptions on their end. 

While many of us wish in person life would return, we can still find ways to connect with friends and colleagues over Zoom. If I can execute a last minute wedding I have no doubt you can make your weekly staff video call a success! If you’d like to discuss how to approach your next meeting, book a free 20 minute call with me.