Teams - Remote and Virtual

Teams - Remote and Virtual

by Claire Snowdon and Mark Bouch

Telephone conference

An audio telephone conference or ‘teleconference’ is a telephone call with more than one party listening in or participating in the call.

Companies commonly use a specialised service provider, who maintains the conference bridge (a type of equipment that links telephone lines) and who provides the phone numbers and PIN codes that participants dial to access the meeting or conference call.

The more limited ‘three-way calling’ is also available (usually at an extra charge) on home or office phone lines. This option allows callers to add a second outgoing call to an already-connected call. Check with your service provider for instructions and details of how to use this facility.

Businesses increasingly use conference calls to meet with remote parties. Common applications are client meetings or sales presentations, project meetings and updates, regular team meetings, training classes and communication to employees who work in different locations.

How it works

Telephone conference technology allows multiple users to dial into a single telephone call. Calls can be hosted internally or through a third-party service provider. Two basic types of service are offered:

  • Flat rate services, which enable conference call users to have unlimited access to a conference bridge at a fixed monthly cost
  • Pay As You Go conference services, where the cost of the phone calls covers the cost of the conference service (participants use 0844, 0870 or 0871 numbers). With a PAYG service there is no monthly charge and usually no contracts to sign. Examples of UK providers:
  • Pow Wow Now
  • BT Meet Me
  • MeetingZone
  • Conference Genie

Pros

Telephone conferences connect multiple people simultaneously and take place in real time. They are inexpensive and easy to set up with a pay as you go service. Telephone conferences are more personal and engaging than communication via email.

Cons

It is not always clear who is talking. Sometimes a short time lag means that people talk at the same time. It is not unknown for callers to get on with other work during a call, so their attention is divided. If some of the group members are together in one location, people dialling in can sometimes feel left out of the conversation. It is also more difficult to show people what you’re talking about or give visual presentations.

Best for

Telephone conferences work well for small groups and teams in which members are already familiar with each other. They are best used for short meetings or planning sessions. In the US, it is common for major corporations to use telephone conferencing for quarterly results announcements and analyst’s briefings. In this case, only certain parties have an access code to allow participation in the call; the rest can only listen.

Process

Below are some tips for managing and participating in a teleconference.

Conference owner

To conduct an effective teleconference, remember (if possible and time permits) to circulate an agenda, documents and any pre-work ahead of the call. At the conference itself, use the following process.

  • Introduce yourself – begin the teleconference by introducing yourself and your location, stating the objective of the teleconference, the agenda and giving instructions for participant involvement.
  • Set the rules – remind every one of the ground rules during a teleconference:
  • State one’s name before speaking
  • Keep background noise to a minimum; use the mute button when not speaking
  • Keep comments concise and focused on the topic.
  • The meeting chair can act as the ‘voice traffic controller’ and facilitate the meeting. Alternatively, another person may be appointed as the facilitator, responsible for keeping the meeting moving and on track.
  • Begin the meeting on time. Start by thanking participants for attending, and review the meeting objectives. If the members do not know each other, ask each person to give a 10-second introduction, stating name and location. Hearing others’ voices helps place a voice with a name and face.
  • Refer to supporting literature specifically; remember that others can’t see you. Be direct – ask participants to ‘please look at page 2 and we’ll discuss the diagram’. Use specific references to meeting materials, including page and paragraph numbers.
  • Stick to the agenda, control interruptions, anticipate problems, be prepared with solutions and stay enthusiastic. Your voice accounts for most of your effectiveness on the telephone, so project your enthusiasm and interest from the moment you begin the meeting.
  • Be democratic – take note of the people and sites that participate, and those from whom you haven’t heard. Use this information to lead a balanced discussion.
  • Stick to the agenda, control interruptions, anticipate problems and be prepared with solutions, and stay enthusiastic. Your voice accounts for most of your effectiveness on the telephone, so project your enthusiasm and interest from the moment you begin the meeting.
  • The facilitator should remind any face-to-face participants to keep remote participants involved in the discussion and accommodate their more limited opportunity to provide input. Invite additional comments and questions to bring everyone into the discussion.
  • Stay on schedule – be respectful of everyone’s time and try to end on schedule. Remember that not all discussions have to take place during the teleconference. You can agree to call someone after the teleconference for a more in-depth conversation.
  • Summarise effectively – when preparing to close, do the following:
  • Ask for summary statements
  • Thank everyone for their participation
  • Use a formal sign-off to end the conference
  • Agree action points with deadlines.
  • After the teleconference, forward to all conference participants minutes of the meeting and any other relevant material

Participants

There are certain ground rules which will help you to get the best from a teleconference and be a welcome participant.

  • Read all pre-work and come prepared to participate actively in the conversation. Just because no one can see you, it doesn’t mean your voice won’t be missed if you’re silent.
  • Call in a few minutes before the call is scheduled to begin. Whatever your location for the duration of the call, make sure that you’re ready to go there five minutes prior to the call, with all materials to hand.
  • Remember to turn off your personal mobile phone and any other equipment likely to interfere with the teleconference.
  • Remember that you can mute out by pressing the relevant mute button on your phone. Use the mute button when you’re not speaking so that others can’t hear your background noise. Avoid calling in on a mobile phone if possible, because they are more likely to cause static.
  • Be present and participate – don’t read emails or have conversations with others while on the teleconference.
  • Keep side conversations to a minimum. It’s frustrating for participants to hear ‘babbling’ in the background.
  • Silent moments are acceptable – someone may be formulating a question in their mind and may need another minute to chime in.