This document provides 7 rules for successful web conferencing: 1) Focus on collaborating around a shared document rather than talking, 2) Use a simple, clear document format that everyone understands, 3) Consider the capabilities needed based on the complexity of the collaboration, 4) Have an agenda and goals to prevent confusion, 5) Engage all participants, 6) Provide feedback to recreate the feeling of being together in person, and 7) Circulate notes and summaries after to record decisions. The final message is that these rules can be ignored if another approach works better for a particular situation.

1. Agenda planning for
web conferencing

2. It’s all about
the doc!
An agenda for smarter web
conferencing

3. Teleconferencing
is great.

4. Video conferencing
is brilliant.

5. And web conferencing
is AMAZING.

6. But it’s also
DIFFERENT.
Here are some rules for successful
web conferencing.

7. Rule 1:
Think documents

8. Web conferencing
lets people
COLLABORATE as
well as TALK.

9. Imagine people
huddled around a
DOCUMENT, not a
table. With their
pens out.
What rights do
they have?
Who should
approve them?
Who can add
notes?

10. Make sure
everyone knows
what they’re
allowed to do... in
ADVANCE.

11. Rule 2:
Friendly format

12. Web conferencing
lets you share
many types of
document.
Spreadsheets, text
docs, slides.
Is your document
right for the
collaborative task?
Is everybody
familiar with the
layout you’re
using?

13. Simple and clear
trumps clever but
complex EVERY
TIME.

14. Rule 3:
Judge bandwidth

15. There are several
levels of web
conferencing.
Browser-based over the
web works great for
simple documents and
presentations.
But complex technical
collaborations may
need more oomph.
And think about
security, with private
networks.

16. If it’s casual, stay
simple. If it’s
mission-critical,
look beyond.

17. Rule 4:
Clear out confusion

18. Just as meetings can be
hijacked by the loudest
person in the room.
Web conferences can
be dominated by the
wrong people.

19. Have a goal and agenda
points for your web
collaboration, EVEN IF
it’s just one document.
As you would in any
meeting.

20. Rule 5:
Keep it interactive

21. Even non-
contributing team
members like to
feel involved.
Use polls, questions,
and choices to guide
your web conference in
a way that’s useful to
everyone.

22. Rule 6:
Give feedback

23. To keep everyone
at ease, recreate
that feeling of
being round a
table.
Indicate who’s
presenting, display lists
of attendees, show
links to resources.
They’ll feel less like an
audience, more like a
team.

24. Rule 7:
Keep notes

25. A good web
conferencing
session is its own
Contact Report.
Circulate links to the
presentation or session
to everyone, with a
brief summary of what
happened and what
was decided.

26. And the
big one...

27. Ignore the
rules!

28. Web conferencing
can combine voice,
text, and visuals.
Which means it’s full of
possibilities. Some even
we haven’t thought of.

29. So if you find a
way of using that
works for you…
keep doing it!
A great partner for
making these choices is
Arkadin.

30. Takeaways
Remember: it’s a document, not a roundtable
Have goals and an agenda, like any other meeting…
...and remember to enable who does what!

31. Enjoy collaboration, enjoy sharing
Enjoy simplicity