Run a Better Meeting
Town halls and company-wide discussions are great for everyone in your organization to get together at the same time. During the meeting everyone can share important business updates, strategy decisions, big customer wins and progress toward goals.
But with COVID-19 more employees are working remotely, and it may seem impossible to get all of your staff together in the same place. With video conferencing it makes it relatively easy to host and run virtual meetings. Additionally, virtual meetings give you the ability to easily share content and interact with the audience in a new way. Until offices are able to reopen in the United States, virtual meetings are more important than ever.
TIPS FOR MORE EFFECTIVE VIRTUAL MEETINGS
Some research has shown that employees disengage at work when they don’t feel needed or if they don’t connect with the organization. Productive virtual meetings allow employees to hear directly from leaders to understand better how their roles contribute to the success of the company.
- Celebrate the winners – Whether a shout-out from a colleague, a quarterly reward, or an acknowledgement for exhibiting company values. Employee recognition is an effective way to engage employees and reinforce that every person’s contributions are valued and appreciated.
- Kick off a two-way conversation with ice breakers – Because these meetings are more extensive, typically, you should find an efficient way to allow participation during the session. Consider sending out the meeting agenda ahead of time so people come to the meeting prepared, do a quick icebreaker at the beginning to set the mood, and then conduct quick polls to get feedback.
- Check your tech – One of the quickest ways to ruin a virtual meeting is to have technical difficulties or not know how to use some of the features. Before you start the meeting, make sure that your video and audio are working, you know how to screen share, and you have enough bandwidth to hot or join the video call.
- Make it easy for everyone to join the video meeting – While some employees are working from the office others might be working remotely. You will need a video conferencing solution that allows all employees to easily access the meeting.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio, video and security camera installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team (License #804783). One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.
Conference Calls
Any modern business should have some sort of conferencing capability, either video, web or audio based. Video conferencing has become an essential part of everyday life for most businesses, other companies still don’t have a go-to service for interacting with clients. Some participants will have to navigate the odd conversation of ‘which service should we use’ before each meeting as a result.
Now there are dozens of providers offering basic conferencing capabilities, but how do you know which is best for your business? What features are important? How do you avoid deploying a conference call service that is good for some cases but fails for others? Keep reading to find out!
4 FEATURES WHEN CHOOSING A CONFERENCE CALL SERVICE
Choosing the best conference call service for your business is vital in furthering the proficiency and effectiveness of your internal and external communications. There are a variety of conferencing services available. The decision often ends up with your company’s needs.
End-to-end encryption and enterprise security
Most video conferencing platforms offer basic security features, there is a growing demand for true end-to-end encryption for the most sensitive meetings.
Bring your own device capabilities
Bring your own device refers to employees who use their personal devices to connect to their organizational networks.
Recording ability
The ability to record a video conference is critical. Not only does it prevent the team from missing something in the meeting, since it can be re-watched if someone misses the meeting, they can watch it, also it improves engagement.
Calendar integrations
Calendar integrations for video conferencing makes it possible to automatically detect all of your scheduled video meetings, providing a single source for upcoming appointments.
NO MORE JUMPING FROM ONE CONFERENCING SERVICE TO ANOTHER
With Lifesize or Crestron, teams will have access to virtual meeting spaces and collaboration features built for brainstorming ideas, making decisions, and working together in real time. Their meeting room systems are engineered to make the user experience effortless and effective conferencing.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio, video and security camera installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team (License #804783). One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.
Future Workplaces
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of work environments and how we communicate with our colleagues. The shift in how and where we are working presents an opportunity to reshape and reinvent the workplace for a life after COVID-19.
Changing how we define work as a single office location to a more work-at-home or anywhere that has internet is how experts say a lot of employees will be allowed to work. Because of cloud based technology and rapidly evolving policies concerning remote work, these predictions appear more accurate.
However, the only way this type of workplace is possible is if companies give their employees the correct tools, support and strategy.
HOW THE WORKPLACE CHANGED AT THE BEGINNING OF 2020
There was a study done in 2018 and it predicted that working from home (remote work) would equal or surpass in office work by 2025. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020 the future has arrived sooner rather than later. A research firm released some data in April that showed 63% of United States employees worked from home due to coronavirus.
The sudden shift to remote work has introduced new issues for both employers and employees as the virus made it necessary for organizations to prioritize safety over preparedness. Other research has shown that
- 71% of employers struggled to adjust to remote work
- 65% of employers said maintaining employee morale and well-being has been a challenge
- One-third faced difficulties with company culture
This may paint a grim picture, but another study by a research firm found that remote work had only a small negative impact on productivity despite significant logistical challenges.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM FUTURE WORKPLACES
As you know the workplace is looking a lot different now. Here are a few ways that future workplaces may look different
- Virtual workplaces - Employers that don’t require employees to work on site may see a big turn toward virtual workplaces. Certain fields, manufacturing, distribution, health care and service-related industries will still need the majority of their employees to physically go into the workplace for the business to operate. However, jobs outside of those industries may go full remote.
- Distributed offices - Since a lot more employees are working remotely, some companies or organizations may open smaller regional hubs or provide remote workers with access to local coworking spaces rather than have everyone commute to one central office.
- Online meetings -Business travel and going into the office has come to a halt during the pandemic, a lot of companies have started using video conferencing more. With video conferencing the employees working remotely could safely and effectively meet and collaborate face to face with their colleagues, clients, and customers.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio, video and security camera installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team (License #804783). One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.
Work Environments
Everyone prospers in different settings. Some people thrive in a high energy work environment with lots of activity. For others that type of work environment can stunt their productivity. Have you found which work environment works best for you?
You are probably wondering what work environments we are talking about. There are a few to consider:
- Fully remote
- Partially remote
- In an open-office
- In a private office
- On-the-go
WHAT IS YOUR IDEAL WORK ENVIRONMENT?
Fully Remote
Because of COVID-19 some companies have adopted a fully remote office setup to make sure everyone is practicing social distancing. Now that companies are easing restrictions a few are deciding that they are going to do permanent work-from-home.
PROS
- Employees can work from anywhere in the world
- Easier work-life boundaries for experienced remote workers
- Lower expenses on commutes for employees and operational costs for companies overall
CONS
- Collaboration may be sometimes affected (if teams haven’t figured out how to work together online)
- Employees have to be accountable to themselves, which for some people may not work
- Loneliness is a problem commonly experienced by remote employees
Partially Remote
Other companies have started setting up a partially remote office setup where employees can report into the office a few days a week and work remotely for 1-2 days. Many companies are adopting a partially remote setup before committing to a fully remote office.
PROS
- Employees can switch between the different setups, which can increase engagement and productivity as they are exposed to changing environments
- Teams are able to meet in person for regular meetings
CONS
- In office employees may have a difficult time communicating with their remote counterparts if work is not happening at the same time
An Open-Office
Open office floor plans are often used in large companies to create an open space for employees instead of using cubicles.
PROS
- Can increase communication and collaboration
- Open floor plans can introduce wellness rooms and dedicated spaces for meetings and solo focused work
CONS
- Boundaries maybe forgotten if employees are able to reach anyone whenever they want
- Distractions can happen if there isn’t a designated area for chit-chat and meetings
A Private Office
Private offices are often associated with executives, but they may provide private offices for other people, even if for shared use.
PROS
- Dedicated space for work can boost productivity
- Privacy and boundaries can be enforced
CONS
- May lack natural lighting or have bad ventilation
- Can lead to a divide between people
On-The-Go
You may like working on your laptop anywhere; i.e., the library, coffee shop, or even at home. On the go work can mean working anywhere in the world, especially if your company supports non-existent work hours.
PROS
- Have a chance to work with your natural energy
- Can increase your productivity by exposing yourself to different environments
CON
- Constantly being on the move can be tiring over time
- You will always search for spots with internet service to work
DEFINE WHAT WORKSPACE YOU WANT
Now is the time to ask yourself some questions about what your ideal work environment is. Since we have put the different kinds of workplaces in a nice package for you, you can now decide on which one may appeal to you and what you want. The next step is to think about these thoughts that you want to be clear on
- Freedom to travel - do you want to be able to have a job based in the United States, but work from Europe or live in two different cities a year while keeping your job?
- Ability to meet with your team - do you want to meet with your team five-days a week?
- Some time at home - do you want to spend a few days a week at home?
- Human connection - do you need the connection from another human? Or do you like to communicate in person with your colleagues everyday?
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio, video and security camera installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team (License #804783). One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.
Hosting Your First Webinar
Establishing yourself as a leader in your field, whether you’re a large business, institution or single entity, means being yourself and making your voice heard. The best way to do that is through a webinar. Webinars have become a popular way of efficiently and effectively communicating ideas especially due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Lifesize has created an easy way to organize, share and participate in webinars, as a guest presenter or attendee. You may already have started looking into hosting online sessions with customers or your target audience or will in the near future.
WHAT IS A WEBINAR?
A webinar is an online event that is hosted by an organization or company and broadcast to a select group or individuals through their computers via the internet. A webinar is sometimes also referred to as a webcast, online event, or web seminar.
Depending on the restrictions put in place by the host, the participants can share their audio, screen, and documents with other attendees – making for an engaging and collaborative virtual discussion. Webinars allow companies to build relationships with customers, partners, or prospects.
THE 3 MAIN FACTORS OF A WEBINAR
- The host - Most webinars have a single host who is responsible for making all of the arrangements and making sure everything goes smoothly. The host could be a person or a team, but one primary individual will host the webinar
- The participants - Participants are the people that will be included in the webinar presentation, such as experts. They should have a defined and active role in the webinar based on the agenda and goals of the discussion.
- The attendees - Attendees are simply watching the webinar and may comment or respond to the webinar. They do not directly host, share or interact with the webinar.
Creating a webinar could be a daunting task, but with Lifesize creating a webinar takes only a couple of minutes.
HOW TO USE LIFESIZE AS YOUR WEBINAR IN 5 STEPS
- Sign into Lifesize
You will have to create your Lifesize account, but once you do you can immediately host or join meetings from any device from anywhere.
- Create a video meeting webinar for participants
Once you are signed in you want to click the “Meetings” tab and then select “Create a Meeting.” After that enter the name of the webinar, choose a host, and create a numeric passcode to ensure only invited people can join
- Share the link with webinar participants
Next you are going to copy the new webinar link and share it with everyone who will be participating via email or any calendar of your choice. NOTE: this is the link for those that will be a part of the webinar, not the attendees.
- Create a webinar link for attendees
After you share the link with the participants it is time to create a link to allow webinar attendees to watch your presentation.
To do this you will need to visit the Lifesize Admin Console (manage.lifesize.com) and then follow these instructions:
- Select meetings tab
- Search for the name of your newly created webinar and select it
- (within the meeting settings menu) select streaming
- Then select enable live streaming
- You’ll now have the option to either enable or disable audience questions for your webinar.
- Choose whichever you prefer
- Click save
- Promote your webinar link to the masses
After setting up the link for your attendees you can now start to promote your webinar. From the edit meeting details menu, the newly created streaming link is what you’ll use in your marketing material.
About the Author
Experience Audio Video has been serving Orange County and Area since 1999 for residential and commercial audio, video and security camera installation services. 5 Star Yelp Ratings, Thousands of Referrals, there is not a better choice than Brian Chappell and the Experience Audio Video Team (License #804783). One phone call and you will know right away the difference in working with Experience Audio Video vs. others in the area. Contact us now at 714-744-4455 or info@eav-inc.com for a Free Consultation.