Working with technology is not always easy. Having a productive meeting is never guaranteed either. Here are some helpful troubleshooting tips to make your next virtual or hybrid meeting be as seamless and productive as possible.
- Test-runs (plural) are not enough!
- The Zoom/Teams account you plan to use to host the meeting is the same login you should use for your test runs
- The device you use to login for your test runs should be the same device you use for the actual meeting.
- If you use a different device the day-of, it may ask you for a two-factor authentication
- Make sure you have access to the email account associated with the Zoom/Teams account being used, in the event that you need to do a 2-factor authentication or change the password
- It helps if someone else is present who has an understanding of the technology. Sometimes the simplest tasks, such as finding the “share screen” button or remembering to turn on the mic can suddenly be challenging when coordinating an event—someone to kindly say “bottom of the screen” or “your mic is off” can be invaluable
- If possible, have access to another Zoom/Teams account in case the original account locks you out
- Be prepared to adapt to situations as they arise
- (example: the mic and speaker we used for the test runs were both malfunctioning when the meeting went live, even though both were tested multiple times including day-of, we just went with the audio from the computer speaker and the mic on the camera).
- If it is your first time hosting, tell people so that they can be empathetic if issues do arise
- Equipment
- Minimum, usually fine for fully virtual meetings: a camera, mic, speaker, display screen (all usually built into laptops)
- Preferable for in-person group setting: a separate camera with better video quality (these usually have a built-in mic), a separate mic (especially if presenter is not next to camera or laptop), a separate speaker especially if in a larger space, a display screen.
- Make sure you have all of the correct cords and that all of the equipment is compatible (not all computers/equipment have USB, USB-C, HDMI ports, etc)
- Make sure your computer is updated
- Be connected to a power source
- Have a strong internet connection
- If possible, have someone monitoring the chat and/or Q&A features so that virtual attendees feel equally included
- Include an ice-breaker moment
- (example: small groups of attendees can share their name/location, virtual attendees can also put it in the chat)
- As you get more familiar with the technology, there are many features to explore (e.g. taking polls, having break-out rooms for small-group discussion)