Virtual Meetings: Improving Distance Meeting Buy-In

Marina Elliot works at the headquarters for a large HMO that contracts with physician groups in various locations across the nation. Her position requires her to impose organizational objectives and systems on smaller groups that often resist such interference. Marina recently needed to inform regional groups that the home office was instituting a systemwide change to hiring practices. To save costs, she set up a Web conference between her office in Charlotte and others in Chicago, Denver, and Seattle. Marina set the meeting for 10 a.m.

Eastern Standard Time. At the designated date and hour, she found that the Seattle team was not logged on and she had to delay the session. When the Seattle team finally did log on, Marina launched into her presentation. She explained the reasons behind the change in a PowerPoint presentation that contained complex data she had not distributed prior to the conference. Marina heard cell phone ring- tones and typing in the background as she spoke. Still, she pushed through her one-hour presentation without eliciting any feedback.

Your Task. In teams, discuss ways Marina might have improved the Web conference.