With the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many people have become concerned about attending large gatherings. This includes meeting face to face, as well as using video chat apps such as Google Hangouts or Zoom for meetings.
Some people cannot afford to go offline due to their jobs, while others just do not feel comfortable being apart from other people.
However, there is an alternative: You can attend two separate but similar zoom meetings at the same time!
It may sound crazy, but it’s totally possible. And even though these types of meetings are considered “virtual”, you can still watch out for eachother’s emotional states and tone of voice. It also helps that no one knows anyone else in either meeting, so there’s less risk of someone spreading COVID-19.
If you would like to give this idea a try, here are some tips for how to connect two separate, but simialr Zoom meetings.
Can I attend both meetings?
The short answer is yes, you can! It’s not recommended, but it is possible to do so. Just remember that one of your meetings will be limited by the other meeting.
You cannot actively participate in both meetings at once. For example, if there are certain things you need to prepare for either meeting, you would have to make choices about which ones to put off until later. You also cannot chat or talk over the phone while someone else is speaking, so stay aware of how long each speaker takes.
If you really wanted to give this effort a try, we suggest limiting yourself to two minutes per person. This gives you enough time to speak without being too lengthy, and people can adjust their conversations to fit into those two minutes when needed.
Here are some tips for having a successful meeting
Setting up a meeting via zoom can be tricky, especially if you’re not familiar with it yet. You may have to deal with limited bandwidth or issues such as poor quality sound or video.
It is very common to encounter these types of problems during a meeting. Luckily, there are ways to fix them.
You could start by testing the connection speed before the meeting. Make sure your device has enough bandwidth to support the meeting distance and that the other person will have good connectivity.
If everything looks okay, then you can proceed with the meeting. But remember, even though most people use zoom regularly, not everyone uses it equally. Some may need more help using it than others.
Since this is the case, do not assume anything. Ask how well someone knows how to use zoom so they can get the job done without any glitches.
Make sure the meetings have a clear agenda
It is okay to attend two separate, but equal size meeting sessions using Zoom as long as you are aware of what goes onto them.
It is important to note that even though they are both considered “meetings”, one can be more formal than the other. For example, one may be an employee review while the other is just for fun with colleagues or friends.
If one of these events has not been announced yet then it is better to find out ahead of time so you are not caught off guard.
Make sure you are able to leave immediately after each event which should be easy since they take only around an hour.
Provide content for each speaker
Another common mistake is having too many speakers or attendees at one meeting. This can be done by having separate meetings with different people, having a keynote speech, or even holding an event within another event!
This is called “linking” and has become quite popular in recent months due to the spread of COVID-19. By linking, the same conference can occur twice (or more) under one roof which helps alleviate crowd size and exposure issues.
By providing content for your attendees before and during the meeting, they will feel connected to the rest of the events taking place simultaneously.
Be consistent
It’s not okay to attend two separate, but equal, zoom meetings at the same time. Meeting one person twice is considered unethical.
If you are attending an online meeting as part of your job, it is even more important to be ethical. By being aware of potential red flags, you can prevent yourself from doing something wrong.
Here are some things that might indicate that someone is trying to meet for outside work hours or beyond the scope of their employment:
It’s been less than 24 hours since they last met you irl.
You feel like you have been “chased” or lured into the meeting by them.
They ask lots of vague questions about your job.
Their tone seems off – they may talk too quickly, use very formal language, or sound nervous.
They seem distracted or reluctant to make eye contact with you.
They never pick up after the call ends.
Whether you realize it or not, when you start working in the professional realm, there are certain standards that people expect you to follow. Being able to identify these standardswould go a long way towards helping you keep your personal life private and your career commitments honest.
Using technology effectively requires staying within its parameters. The media team will want to know what computer programs they should use for email, chat, and file sharing, for example.
Take notes
Having to choose between attending one meeting or another can be tricky, especially if you have an appointment after the other meeting. But with the right planning, you can attend two meetings simultaneously!
It is possible to connect to each meeting using a free software program called Zoom. You can do this by going into a meeting as a guest or registering for a paid account.
As well as enabling you to view and listen to the meeting content, these accounts give you the ability to chat during the meeting which may help in supporting discussion.
There are also some ways to contribute via the microphone and webcam like giving presentations or asking questions. It depends how much flexibility you want to have while listening to the meeting!
These days, it is very easy to access and use zoom so don’t feel that you need to have a registered user to participate.
Be a digital native
As mentioned earlier, one of the main reasons why people are having trouble attending meetings via zoom is because they are not using it properly.
Zoom was designed as an online meeting tool and has become very popular due to that. It is now used for virtually every type of meeting; from team discussions to presentations to educational events.
But what most people don’t realize is that you can use zoom just like you would use any other website. You can add users, videos, and channels just like you could with YouTube or Facebook. And while there are some limitations (like being able to only have one participant in a chat channel at a time), these aren’t too hard to work around.
So instead of complaining about how difficult it is to attend a meeting through zoom, make sure users are experts at using it! By teaching yourself how to use it effectively, you will be able to connect and participate easily and comfortably.
What are we talking about?
We’re talking about making your own account, checking out the settings, adding participants, changing modes, etc. There are even lots of tutorials and tips available if you look up how-to information.
Connect with your attendees
It is very important to keep in touch with your meeting participants outside of the meetings themselves. You can do this via chat, phone calls, or even personal messages.
This is especially true after the meeting! Some people may need extra help processing what happened during the meeting, so offering them ways to talk about it is an appropriate next step.
By staying connected, you will also be able to identify potential issues earlier, which helps prevent anyone from being left out or hurt by the meeting.
It is totally acceptable to have different levels of engagement with each other, but making sure everyone’s needs are met and that nobody feels excluded is essential to having successful meet-and-gathers.
That means paying attention not just to what happens in the meeting, but to how things go otherwise as well.
