Group audio calls, or conference calls, are more involved than one-on-one calls. All the rules apply, and they are even more important. Again, because phone calls\u2014even group calls\u2014feel so familiar, you might be inclined to skip some of the five steps of a phone call. However, doing this decreases the effectiveness of the call and can lead to people feeling frustrated or unheard.<\/p>\r\n
To start with, be sure you invite the right people to participate. The more people who are on a call, the more chaotic it can become. Make sure you invite only those who are crucial to the conversation, rather than simply inviting anyone who might be interested. Remember, you can always send a call summary afterward to those who are not essential to the call. Some apps also allow you to record calls and share them later.<\/p>\r\n If you will be recording a call, everyone participating should be aware of the recording in advance. In some states, it\u2019s illegal to record calls without permission from the other participants.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n As possible, schedule the call in advance and give participants the necessary information about the technology, including call-in numbers or applications you will be using. You should at least have a basic agenda. Even if it\u2019s a recurring weekly call, make sure you\u2019ve thought about how time will be spent and what the priorities are for this week. Go through all of the five stages of a call. Setting the next steps is especially important in a group setting so people feel their time has been well spent and know what\u2019s expected of them going forward.<\/p>\r\n Here are some best practices that make conference calls easier for everyone to follow:<\/p>\r\n Bring energy to the call:<\/strong> Your physical actions, like standing or moving around, can make you sound more engaged and lively, even if others can't see you. If you're stuck sitting, sit up straight and imagine you're presenting to people in the same room.<\/p>\r\n Clarify speaker transitions<\/strong>: Let participants know how the conversation will move from one person to the next. For smaller or familiar groups, the conversation might flow easily. With larger groups, it might help to save questions for the end or after each section to avoid chaos.<\/p>\r\n Do time checks.<\/strong> Since people won\u2019t be able to read each other\u2019s cues, those who are speaking won\u2019t be able to see the urgency in the faces of those who want to join the discussion. By mentioning how much time is left in the call, you are gently reminding people not to monologue or take over the conversation. Generally, checking in at the halfway point, with fifteen minutes left, and then with five minutes left is a good plan. You can say something like, \"I want to do a quick time check. We have fifteen minutes left and two agenda items yet to discuss.\"<\/p>\r\n Reduce background noise<\/strong>: Encourage those not speaking to mute their microphones to cut down on distracting sounds. Also, ask participants to silence other notifications to avoid unexpected interruptions during the call.<\/p>\r\n So far, we\u2019ve mostly talked about conference calls assuming that you are the leader or planner. But there are ways to be a good participant on calls that other people are leading.<\/p>\r\n Resist the temptation to check emails or surf online. If it\u2019s worth your time to be present at this meeting, you should really be present and [pb_glossary id=\"2353\"]actively listening[\/pb_glossary]. If you find it difficult to stay focused, take notes. Even if you don't need them later, taking notes with pen and paper will help you stay focused on the call.<\/p>\r\n You may find yourself planning or participating in a meeting that includes both people in the same room and people on the phone. We\u2019ll call this a hybrid audio meeting. Certainly, the same rules apply to hybrid meetings as apply to other types of group calls:<\/p>\r\n The main issue with hybrid calls is that the people in the room tend to forget about the people on the phone\u2014they literally forget they\u2019re even there. As you can imagine, this doesn\u2019t happen as easily with videoconferencing when you can actually see people\u2019s faces on a screen. So how do you avoid abandoning your remote colleagues?<\/p>\r\n Group audio calls, or conference calls, are more involved than one-on-one calls. All the rules apply, and they are even more important. Again, because phone calls\u2014even group calls\u2014feel so familiar, you might be inclined to skip some of the five steps of a phone call. However, doing this decreases the effectiveness of the call and can lead to people feeling frustrated or unheard.<\/p>\n To start with, be sure you invite the right people to participate. The more people who are on a call, the more chaotic it can become. Make sure you invite only those who are crucial to the conversation, rather than simply inviting anyone who might be interested. Remember, you can always send a call summary afterward to those who are not essential to the call. Some apps also allow you to record calls and share them later.<\/p>\n If you will be recording a call, everyone participating should be aware of the recording in advance. In some states, it\u2019s illegal to record calls without permission from the other participants.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n As possible, schedule the call in advance and give participants the necessary information about the technology, including call-in numbers or applications you will be using. You should at least have a basic agenda. Even if it\u2019s a recurring weekly call, make sure you\u2019ve thought about how time will be spent and what the priorities are for this week. Go through all of the five stages of a call. Setting the next steps is especially important in a group setting so people feel their time has been well spent and know what\u2019s expected of them going forward.<\/p>\n Here are some best practices that make conference calls easier for everyone to follow:<\/p>\n Bring energy to the call:<\/strong> Your physical actions, like standing or moving around, can make you sound more engaged and lively, even if others can’t see you. If you’re stuck sitting, sit up straight and imagine you’re presenting to people in the same room.<\/p>\n Clarify speaker transitions<\/strong>: Let participants know how the conversation will move from one person to the next. For smaller or familiar groups, the conversation might flow easily. With larger groups, it might help to save questions for the end or after each section to avoid chaos.<\/p>\n Do time checks.<\/strong> Since people won\u2019t be able to read each other\u2019s cues, those who are speaking won\u2019t be able to see the urgency in the faces of those who want to join the discussion. By mentioning how much time is left in the call, you are gently reminding people not to monologue or take over the conversation. Generally, checking in at the halfway point, with fifteen minutes left, and then with five minutes left is a good plan. You can say something like, “I want to do a quick time check. We have fifteen minutes left and two agenda items yet to discuss.”<\/p>\n Reduce background noise<\/strong>: Encourage those not speaking to mute their microphones to cut down on distracting sounds. Also, ask participants to silence other notifications to avoid unexpected interruptions during the call.<\/p>\n So far, we\u2019ve mostly talked about conference calls assuming that you are the leader or planner. But there are ways to be a good participant on calls that other people are leading.<\/p>\nScheduling<\/h3>\r\n
Best Practices<\/h3>\r\n
Participating in a Group Audio Call<\/h2>\r\n
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Minimize Distractions<\/h3>\r\n
Hybrid Meetings<\/h2>\r\n
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Leading Group Audio Calls<\/h2>\n
Who to Invite<\/h3>\n
Scheduling<\/h3>\n
Best Practices<\/h3>\n
Participating in a Group Audio Call<\/h2>\n
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Minimize Distractions<\/h3>\n