In our previous post we noted that since it has become more commonplace for people to work from home or other remote locations, so too has it become necessary for leaders to develop and master the art of running remote or virtual meetings. Otherwise it becomes increasingly difficult to engage and keep project teams focused and on track.

It is also important to keep participants on track during these remote or virtual project team meetings. If, as suggested in that previous post, the meeting leader directs open-ended questions to individuals, it is important for the leader to keep track of how those questions are answered.

The simple solution is to create and use a master sheet, on which the leader can note the responses and other comments made by each participant. By listing each team members name in sequence, the leader can also direct questions on a random basis, which further keeps people’s attention, since no one knows when they will be called upon.

In addition, the leader can reference some of the comments during each meeting, thus further engaging the team members who made the comments and also proving to all that their input is, in fact, recognized.

These notes can also serve as a useful resource to the meeting leader after-the-fact, when planning the next meeting.