Meetings, Calls & Virtual Communication

This module develops the skills required to plan, chair and participate effectively in meetings and calls across in-person, hybrid and fully virtual settings. Learners will study agenda design, time-boxing, minutes, action tracking and the discipline of deciding when a meeting is the right medium at all. The module also addresses virtual-meeting etiquette, camera and audio norms, chat behaviour, and the trade-offs between synchronous and asynchronous communication. On completion, learners will convene, run and follow up on meetings that respect participants' time and generate clear decisions.

Learning Outcomes

Decide when a meeting is warranted and select the appropriate synchronous or asynchronous format.

Prepare agendas that specify purpose, outcomes, timings, pre-reads and the role of each attendee.

Chair meetings competently, managing airtime, surfacing dissent and reaching documented decisions.

Capture minutes and action logs that are concise, accurate and clearly assigned with owners and deadlines.

Apply virtual-meeting etiquette on camera, audio, chat, screen-sharing and background environments.

Participate constructively in meetings and calls, including structured interventions and active listening.

Facilitate hybrid meetings so that remote participants have genuine parity of voice with those in the room.

Evaluate meeting load and recommend cadence, duration and attendance reforms to improve productivity.

Topics Covered

When to meet versus when to write: the meeting-cost calculation

Agenda design, outcomes statements and pre-reads

Roles in a meeting: chair, scribe, timekeeper, decision-maker, contributor

Chairing techniques: openings, time-boxing, parking, and closings

Minutes, action logs and decision registers

Active listening and reflective questioning in meetings

Managing dominant and quiet voices; drawing out dissent

Virtual-meeting etiquette: camera, mute, chat, hand-raise, reactions

Audio, lighting, background and professional presence on video

Hybrid meeting design: room equity, moderator role, tooling

Asynchronous communication: written updates, voice notes, loom videos

Stand-ups, retrospectives and other recurring team ceremonies

Managing time zones, culture and language in global calls

Dialling in: phone-call etiquette, bridges and screen-sharing

Meeting load, calendar hygiene and no-meeting blocks

Skills Developed

Facilitation Active listening Time management Minute-taking Virtual presence Decision-making discipline Cross-cultural communication Agenda design Inclusion and participation management Follow-through on actions

Suggested Resources

Death by Meeting - Patrick Lencioni, Jossey-Bass

Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making - Sam Kaner, Jossey-Bass

Running Meetings - Harvard Business Review 20-Minute Manager Series

The Surprising Science of Meetings - Steven G. Rogelberg, Oxford University Press

Remote: Office Not Required - Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, Vermilion

Zoom and Microsoft Teams Etiquette Guides - vendor documentation

ACAS Guide to Running Effective Meetings - Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service

Assessment

Learners complete an observed facilitation exercise in which they chair a short meeting, supplemented by a written submission of agenda, minutes and action log, and a short knowledge check on etiquette and formats.

Facilitation role-play with agenda and minutes portfolio65%

Multiple-choice knowledge check35%

Practice bank: 200 MCQs · Timed mock & self-paced modes

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