Just as many of us are becoming accustomed to virtual meetings, both with our management teams and other stakeholders, we are finding a new blend of in-person and virtual meetings coming to the fore in the shape of hybrid meetings.
In a nutshell, hybrid meetings include at least one group of in-person attendees connecting virtually with other team members who are off-site or can’t be in the same room. These are not new, having been around for several years, but the prevalence and value of hybrid meetings have grown significantly this year and will most likely remain a viable option.
For the motor industry, these offer a unique way to:
- Hold meetings with shareholders and senior management for quarterly or annual reporting
- Host interviews for a variety of team leaders with candidates
- Inter-dealership meetings when groups extend across large geographical areas
- Allow participants who are unable or unwilling to attend an in-person meeting to do so virtually
- Removes traditional confines and allows for a collaborative environment
For some dealerships and groups, hybrid meetings could form an integral part of risk management assessment for meetings following COVID-19.
Whilst this approach ticks the safety boxes, reduces travel costs and zeros out most of the catering budget, it has a few of its own challenges, like holding the attention of those who have dialled in via their digital platform. Our environment significantly affects our ability to stay focused and this poses an increased hurdle when technology doesn’t play along (microphone, speaker or camera failures, delays in connectivity) or the environments of the virtual attendees are cluttered and open to interruptions.
During an in-person meeting, the environment is specifically (even if unconsciously) designed to communicate the message of the meeting and to keep people interested. But if an attendee is virtual, there is no control over their environment, and they may lose focus.
As Dr John Medina, a developmental molecular biologist at the University of Washington, notes, “You’ve got seconds to grab someone’s attention and only 10 minutes to keep it. At 9 minutes and 59 seconds, you must do something to regain attention and restart the clock—something emotional and relevant.” (bucom.com)
This makes it challenging for both the meeting host and all of the attendees. It’s helpful to have some ground rules for engagement, professional conduct and conversational motivation to help all attendees feel like they added, or received, value from the meeting. If meetings are kept slightly smaller, this is easier to achieve, but the larger the meeting, the more complex this will become.
If you are using PowerPoint in your presentation, consider including videos or animations to keep the visuals stimulating and look for ways to keep it interactive for those who are watching through a screen and not benefiting from the in-person energy.
Perhaps one of the biggest value-adds of a hybrid meeting is that it can be recorded and shared to all attendees and those who sent their apologies.
Adopting new digital strategies not only enhances your operational capabilities, but it can also make your dealership more attractive to higher quality candidates when it comes to building your team and recruiting new staff.