This afternoon I connected via conference call with a denominational committee that I am a part of.
Before the meeting took place we were each emailed a phone number to call and a code to enter that would create for us a virtual meeting room where we could meet to talk and make decisions.
Conference calling technology has been around in some form or another for years.
Ultimately the goal is to make meetings possible over distance, but increasingly the desire placed upon technology is to provide other virtual services during these meetings.
Services like document sharing, video conferencing, conference recording or transcription services.
With improvements to broadband capacities and other technologies more and more businesses and teams are exploring ways to meet virtually in order to save time and resources, and to improve the productivity of those participating.
This isn’t a meaningless concept. The more diverse our teams are geographically, and the more dynamic and complex their leadership roles, the more necessary it is for teams to explore ways to connect and collaborate on projects virtually.
The tools that I’ve been exploring more and more for this are:
Skype for Video conferencing – and when required, Call Recorder to record those meetings.
I haven’t used it yet but I see Google + has invested some thought towards video conferencing with multiple people. (if anyone out there has used this I’d love to hear how well it worked etc.)
For more complex meetings where project management was required I’ve used BaseCamp. Basecamp offers conference calling over the computer, file sharing, as well as screen sharing during the meeting so everyone is on the same page. IT was a great resource but increasingly these services are being offered for free in various places.
The more I discover these tools, the more i ask myself what parts of my role could be accomplished more efficiently through the use of technology – freeing up time to better execute the stuff on my to-do list and energy for the parts of my life that make my life worth living.
What tools have you discovered that help you execute more efficiently – especially in the world of meetings?
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