Remote meeting being turned into an email.

When to Turn Your Remote Meeting into an Email

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By Rachel Jay

Meetings: whether you love them or hate them, they are often a necessity in the workplace. Remote meetings can serve to communicate information, bond team members, and set expectations.

However, there may be times when sending an email instead of having a meeting can be more effective. Below, we’re going over a few ways to know when to make the change and how to implement an email instead of a meeting.

Here’s when to turn your remote meeting into an email:

There are lots of time zones to consider.

Whether your remote team is big or small, team members can be spread out across multiple time zones. And if you have employees in different countries, the time difference could be quite large. If you have so many time zones to consider, and it becomes a part-time job to simply figure out a meeting time that is fair for everyone, you may want to turn your remote meeting into an email.

A 10 a.m. meeting may work great for your east coast employees, but that means a 7 a.m. meeting for anyone on the west coast. While there may be times that it’s imperative to meet at a specific time that isn’t ideal for all employees, it’s likely that most of the time forgoing a meeting and turning to email is the better option.

Deadlines loom.

If your team is working hard on a huge project and deadlines are looming, a team meeting may only make things more stressful. If the information you’re presenting in the meeting could be conveyed via an email, you’re only wasting time that could be spent on projects and meeting deadlines.

Really consider the overall vibe of your team during busy times. If people are nose to the grindstone, interrupting their workflow can set progress back. Putting your meeting information into an email that can be read by employees at their leisure may be better for team morale.

No real-time conversation is required.

Perhaps you’re seeking updates on team projects or milestones, or you need to give feedback to your employees. If a real-time conversation isn’t necessary for what you want to accomplish during your meeting, send an email or an instant message. Also assess if the information you need to give or receive pertains to everyone on the team. If it’s just for one or two team members, this is another vote for the email method.

You aren’t prepared.

If you’re not prepared or don’t have a clear agenda of what you want to talk about or accomplish during a meeting, consider canceling it. Whether it’s a weekly team meeting when you just don’t have anything to discuss this week, or an individual meeting that’s vague on what needs to be accomplished, an email instead of a meeting may be a big time saver. Don’t scramble to come up with something for a meeting if you aren’t prepared. An email can convey any minor details that need to be communicated and can give employees an opportunity to ask you any questions or get guidance on a project if needed.

How to turn your remote meeting into an email:

If you’ve decided to turn your remote meeting into an email, there are a few things to be sure to include. You’ll want to give a decent amount of notice if you’re canceling a meeting, so send your email as soon as you can. Provide your cancellation reason if you think it’s necessary.

Within your email, be sure to include any feedback, questions, or deadline reminders as needed. Add the names of team members who are responsible for upcoming tasks. If you’re asking for feedback or suggestions, include a deadline of when you’d like to hear back. The Muse shared a great sample email template for managers who want to turn their meeting into an email. This is a simple but effective way to communicate meeting information via an email:

Hi Team,

This week’s project check-in meeting is being canceled since everything is on track and we already have alignment on next steps. I’ve included key updates below, and we’ll be meeting in person as usual next Thursday.

To-dos for this week:

Reach out to five clients for feedback on the designs—Maria

Send final marketing plan timing for approval—Jason

Updates from this week:

Marketing copy locked in

Client shortlist finalized

Budget request sent to finance team

Launch date confirmed (Nov. 14!)

Thanks,
Alex

Considering the needs of your remote employees will go a long way in creating loyal and dedicated workers. Saving time by turning remote meetings into an email when possible can aid in the productivity of your employees and lead to a more cohesive and connected team.

Photo Credit: bigstockphoto.com

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When to Turn Your Remote Meeting into an Email

Here’s when to turn your remote meeting into an email: