Tips for hosting hybrid meetings with Cisco Webex

Over the past 2 years many of us have adopted a new hybrid working culture. As we start to see phased reopenings of countries across the globe and a sense of normality creeps back, many workers remain in full favour of continuing to embrace this hybrid solution as there are many benefits associated with increased flexibility and a better work-life balance. This suggests hybrid working is likely here to stay, but what does this mean for employers? Some challenges will arise, one being how best to conduct hybrid meetings. At QuickMinutes, we have gathered some tips on hosting hybrid meetings and how to improve these through the use of better meeting equipment.
 

Tips for hosting hybrid meetings

1. Create a set of ground rules
   
   To set standard expectations for your hybrid meetings, we suggest creating some ground rules at an organisation level. Hybrid meeting etiquette is the main area to standardise your rules; for example, no internal meeting room conversations should occur before, during, or after the meeting in which those attending virtually can’t input. A few other areas to cover in these rules would be whether certain meetings require an all in-person attendance or the standard level for audio and visuals during the meeting. By implementing these rules, you are removing any grey areas employees may have and setting the tone that these meetings will be as effective.
    
2. Implement correct meeting facilitation
   
   Meeting facilitators face the challenge of ensuring both groups - those in the meeting room and those attending virtually - are happy with how meetings are being conducted. As meeting experts, we find at times, those attending in person can get sidetracked from meeting objectives as the natural conversation flows between members. The meeting facilitator needs to be aware of this to respect those attending virtually. A few solutions to deal with this is to create an Agenda with the items to be discussed in your meeting and circulate this to all members beforehand. By providing this document, you are reassuring participants you respect their time, and it can be a great tool to keep meetings on track. 
    
3. Make sure you have adequate Meeting equipment
   
   A new requirement formed with hybrid meetings is equipment. Some might even be asking, what is meeting equipment? An often overlooked point is making sure your intended meeting room has the correct setup to conduct an effective meeting. How are the audio and visuals in your meeting room for those on the other end? We recommend conducting testing of this to see if you have any clear downfalls. Interruptions to your meeting from poor equipment can be a huge momentum killer.
    

Equipment for Hybrid meetings

On researching the best equipment for hybrid meetings and working, we found the conferencing platform Webex is currently making huge strides in this area. They believe that hybrid working is here to stay, and it is about how we can best adapt to this. They also have a great resource on their website, which we highly recommend completing. It is a Hybrid Work Readiness Assessment that only takes 10 minutes to complete, and it will benchmark your organization's readiness to long term hybrid working. 

So, how does Webex improve hybrid meetings?

Audio:
Webex meetings, included in the Webex suite, the first purpose-built suite for hybrid work, has developed a solution that understands the reality of working from home. As many of us have learnt, background noises and interruptions from your home are inevitable when you are in meetings. Webex now offers the option in your audio settings to filter out background noises, which allows the audio processing technology to separate human voices from other sounds like dogs barking or keyboard typing, so colleagues do not hear - great for important meetings!

Video:
Webex offers a selection of devices to help improve your meeting experience, which allows you to create more effective conference room scenarios for those attending virtually. Specific to hybrid meetings, Webex Room Series and Webex Board allow your meetings to be transformed, promoting better collaboration regardless of your location. Don’t have the resources to purchase these currently? The best thing about the Webex devices is that they are hardware-as-a-service, meaning no large investment is needed right away; you can purchase these with a monthly subscription basis. 

Webex Room Series is the perfect solution to integrate into your meeting room to bring meaningful collaboration. It provides one camera and audio point for all in-room participants. Some features include automatic detection of the meeting participant speaking, delivering a clear video frame for all, noise suppression within the room to cut out any disruptive noises and a wide-angle lens to ensure everyone in your meeting room is included in the video. 

The Webex Board is an all in one wireless presentation screen with a conferencing system included. You can present this board to all meeting attendees as if everyone was in the meeting room, which is great for meetings that need an interactive discussion. It also allows input from all participants as those attending virtually can take control using their own local device. This board helps to replicate an all in-person meeting and ensures collaboration from all. 

We hope you found this article informative, and you can take a few tips with you to improve your hybrid meetings. If you feel like your organisation is lacking in adequate meeting equipment, make sure to check out Webex.com to find more information.