4 Tips for Making Internal Conference Calls Matter

The full and original article was published on West

1. Boost visibility with video
Our research also found that most employees (63%) feel conference call attendees are more likely to dial in on-time or early for video meetings versus strictly audio. Being physically seen holds participants accountable for showing up and paying attention throughout a meeting.

2. Give each meeting a purpose (or else don’t schedule it)
It’s still common for people to schedule internal huddles without a clear purpose or goal. Organizations should train staff to ask themselves, “Is X topic more appropriate for a meeting or an email?” before clicking “Send” on an internal meeting invite.

3. Invite the right people
As employees sketch out agendas for upcoming internal conference calls, it’s also important to note whether or not they have an item to discuss (or question to ask) with each invited coworker. Five people don’t need to sit on a call if only three people are involved in the conversation.

4. Bridge the gap between conferencing and collaboration
Even when bound to a cubicle, workers today are constantly communicating with each other via email, instant messaging and other collaboration apps. Conference calls shouldn’t be a vacuum where these collaboration capabilities suddenly stop. Businesses need to invest in conference tools that accommodate the multimedia-rich, interactive communication staff expect so that meetings aren’t an interruption, but an extension of the work they’re already doing.