Group chats are becoming an increasingly common means of communication both abroad and in Russia. They allow you to discuss plans and strategies without the need for all employees to fly to one city, save money on telephone conversations. At the same time, group chats have their pitfalls, without avoiding which you will lose many of the advantages of this means of communication. What should I pay attention to?
Define the agenda and goal. First of all, it is necessary to clearly define the chat agenda and goals. It is important to send an email to all members of the group before the start of the conversation and set out questions for discussion in it. This, by the way, allows participants to prepare better. When Six Apart holds a Pronet Conference Call, it often informs the range of topics in advance. Stick to this rule and you.
Avoid chatter. Group chats tend, just like in real meetings, to start with a conversation about nothing. It's human nature. However, if you have a moderator, he can open the conversation with a greeting (if necessary) and start the discussion from the first item on the agenda.
Ask participants to stick to the agenda. The moderator should ask the participants to adhere to the items provided for in the chat agenda. There is nothing wrong with jokes, but it is important that the discussion does not fall into an offtopic.
Mark who you are talking to. Since in a group chat they are talking at the same time, responding to previous comments, it is not always clear who is addressing whom. Therefore, it is worth noting the person you are addressing (for example, @Sergey), or the topic you are responding to (re:revenue» or «response to:…»).
Set a time limit. People may have other things to do besides chat. So set a limit (1 hour, 90 minutes, etc.) and try to stick to it. When the time comes to an end, it is advisable to inform about it (15 minutes left!) and ask the participants to complete the agenda. When the time expires, the conversation must be completed and, if necessary, set another time that will suit everyone.
Well, at the end of the chat, you should make a list of further steps, identify those responsible for their commission, set deadlines, etc.
