This chapter could be much longer and provide much more detail about these technologies. But what matters most at this point you won’t find in a book.
You need to consider your employees and any others you would involve in virtual meetings. Are they ready? Do they have enough experience and confidence with technology that they could soon be using it as easily and comfortably as they now use flipcharts and tangible whiteboards? Sales reps and technicians will talk about requirements for an application or a system, but the requirements that you should consider above all are the psychological, emotional, and social requirements of your employees. What do they need in order to meet virtually?
The answers to these questions are not on a Web site or in a brochure or manual. They’re in what you know about your employees and the culture of your workplace. They’re in the potential that you recognize in your employees and in yourself.
Before you start exploring technology for virtual meetings, you should at least skim CyberMeetings: How to Link People and Technology in Your Organization by James L. Creighton and James W. R. Adams (New York: AMACOM, 1998), probably the one best book on the subject of this chapter.
Then, to find out more about any of the technologies mentioned in this chapter, just enter the name into your favorite search engine and check out the sites it finds. If any of the technologies appeals to you, talk with some sales reps. But be prepared to be overwhelmed by the possibilities-and keep in mind that no technology will guarantee better meetings-or even meetings that are as good.
Manager’s Checklist for Chapter 8
? Our definition of “meeting” is an event consisting of people, content, and process for a purpose. Technology is extending the concept of meetings as it expands the possibilities for communicating and collaborating.
? Virtual meetings are usually less expensive than face-toface meetings: they eliminate the costs of travel, accommodations, and meals; they minimize the inconvenience of interrupting work; and they reduce the loss of time and thus productivity. In addition, they can bring together people who are separated by space or time.
? Virtual meetings have various disadvantages, depending on the technology and the specific situation. The most obvious disadvantage is that they’re not face-to-face:
there’s something missing or at least different in any technology, so group and individual dynamics are different.
? Sales reps and technicians will talk about requirements for an application or a system, but the requirements that you should consider above all are the psychological, emotional, and social requirements of your employees.
Taken From : The Manager’s Guide to Effective Meetings
