Especially with the convenience that video conferencing provides, it might be tempting to shoot over a meeting invite without much thought or planning. But before you hit ‘send,’ consider these best practices recommended by Drexel HR:

1. First and foremost, does this conversation need to be a meeting at all? If you have a quick or simple request or question for a colleague, consider alternative communication modes, such as Teams chat/call or email. Schedule a meeting only if you need to have a lengthy discussion.
   • Tip: Usually, meetings are for brainstorming and soliciting feedback, email is for information dissemination, and Teams chat/call is the remote version of a quick phone call or stopping by a colleague’s desk.
2. Do not default to an hour-long meeting length. Consider if tasks can be accomplished before/after the meeting that would allow for a shorter, more efficient discussion.
3. Schedule the meeting during core business hours (10 a.m.-3 p.m.). Avoid scheduling meetings for the very beginning or end of the day, or between 12-1 p.m., as that is typically folks’ lunch hour.
4. Complete pre-work and come prepared to the meeting. Ahead of the scheduled meeting, make sure to:
   • Provide/review an agenda that includes the goal of the meeting, purpose of the meeting, desired outcomes and action items.
   • Send around and/or review any other meeting materials. Let participants know to review these materials ahead of time to cut down wasted meeting minutes.
   • Explain who is involved in the meeting, and why. Be sure to mark relevant but not essential attendees as ‘optional’ when you send the invite.
5. Start and stop the meeting on time. Stick only to agenda items during the meeting and note topics that surface for further discussion to be addressed at a separate meeting or as part of asynchronous work. Provide a five-minute warning to participants ahead of the scheduled meeting end time. If business is completed before the scheduled end time, dismiss the meeting early.
6. For video conferences, let participants know whether cameras are preferred and when they can be turned off. Do not always default to cameras on, as it can lead to Zoom fatigue.
   • When do I recommend leaving cameras on? If the meeting is a brainstorming session or discussion, cameras can be useful for participants to see non-verbal cues and body language, as well as infer when another person would like to speak.
   • When might I suggest leaving cameras off? If a meeting requires a screen share, or participants are working on a shared document, cameras can usually be left off.
7. Keep a record of the meeting. Agree on someone to take meeting notes recapping the discussion and next steps/action items and to send to the group afterwards. Consider whether the meeting should be recorded for colleagues who cannot attend.
8. At the end of the meeting, review action items and next steps.