Virtual Board meetings are an efficient and cost-effective Read Full Article way for non-profit directors to be involved. Because there are no physical signs, attendees must be extra attentive and clear in their communication. It’s important to plan ahead and come up with an established set of rules that will enable you to communicate and prevent confusion.

These rules could include asking that everyone make a virtual gesture when they are able to speak during the debate or using the tools of the conferencing software to announce their name while they speak. It is also helpful to have a system that lets the chairperson keep track of who is speaking, so that they can respond to the speaker and keep the discussion on track.

It is also advised that participants limit distractions and stop running unnecessary programs on their PCs before the call starts. This will increase bandwidth and improve audio quality. It’s also a good idea when you don’t want to add to the conversation, to mute your microphone. This will cut down on background noise and increase the possibility that someone else may not be able to hear your words.

Another suggestion is to have shorter meetings when you can. This will help attendees maintain their focus and energy throughout the meeting and decrease the chance of suffering from “zoom fatigue” — the exhaustion caused by working on screens that are small for an extended period of time. Meetings that are shorter also make it easier for attendees to accommodate the times of meetings with their personal and professional commitments.