Managers, team leaders, executives, and other authority figures deal with a significant amount of stress on a daily basis. From dealing with clashing personalities to organizing group functions, this concept is just part of the territory when you take on a leadership role. However, one strain that can be reduced with relative ease, thanks to technological advances, is dealing with your workers abroad. As noted by Time, more than six million Americans live and work in other countries. For your overseas employees, keeping in touch and conducting strong meeting sessions is vital.
Traditional Methods
For most communications needs, managers simply pick up their cellphones and call or text their employees. Unfortunately for your overseas affiliates, this isn’t always acceptable. Routing calls and messages to remote locations can rack up a variety of fees and leave your accountants reeling when they see the bills. Additionally, dealing with multiple people at once on group calls is often cumbersome and clunky. As for presentations, sharing graphics and visuals over a phone line is simply not possible.
Face to Face Technology
To combat this issue, consider a tech savvy alternative. Enterprise video conferencing offers most of the benefits of a regular meeting, without the need for physical proximity. As long as all parties involved have web cams, or similar devices, and a strong internet connection, you can conduct a meeting much in the same way as if everyone were located in the same room. An added benefit to this platform is the ability to dodge hefty expenses, like plane tickets, hotel rooms, and long distance charges, all while still retaining the same functionality of meeting at the office. For businesses working on a budget, every dollar saved is a great reason to make a switch.
Remember the Basics
Once you have your video conference up and running, don’t forget that this is still a professional meeting. Shifting to a technologically oriented system does not give you a free rein to take a more informal approach to conducting a meeting. As the facilitator of the gathering, err on the side of caution by keeping the structure of the meeting established and focused. Doing so can optimize your time together and ease the friction of dealing with varied time zones and schedules. An expedient, effective digital meeting is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal when handling overseas employees.
Following Up
In some cases, your work doesn’t stop after the virtual meeting. Clients, employees, and other attendees often require supplementary materials and individual instruction to complete the process. After your meeting offer a package, like a compressed file or folder, that contains all the documents and presentations covered in the meeting, as well as minutes and a recap of the proceedings. Soliciting feedback, in the form of a questionnaire or comment system, from those present can also help enhance and optimize subsequent gatherings. For clients and special guests, a thank you email is a great finishing touch for a successful digital meeting and helps make a strong impression for future collaborations and shared work.