October - November 2001
Remote
Meetings:
Being There Without
Going Anywhere
by
Charles J. Lord
Even before recent
events forced many companies to consider alternatives to face-to-face meetings, the concept of electronic conferencing was becoming more and
more widely accepted in the business world — and
among IEEE volunteers. In many cases, e-conferencing has replaced travel
to meetings, saving precious time and money. And as it has been
demonstrated in IEEE's Region 3, it can be a highly
effective way to carry out business. E-conferencing encourages ongoing
and efficient discussions and attracts more people to participate in
regional decision making.
The Real-Time
Electronic Conference
Initially, Region 3
wanted to find a way to mimic face-to-face meetings. The group chose
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) as its electronic medium. IRC's concept is
similar to an Internet chat room, but experienced facilitators manage conferences
held on a private, password-protected
IEEE server. Volunteers can use a variety of computers, operating
systems, and Internet service providers to participate.
One reason for IRC's
success is using simple yet powerful protocols. Much like the
cryptic codes early radio pioneers used to make Morse Code more
efficient, IRC conference participants use codes like "C" for
comment, "Q" for question, and "GA" for go ahead.
Another reason these cyber
meetings work is that it is not necessary to coordinate a time when
everyone could get together.
The 'Non-Meeting'
The IRC
protocol paved the way for 'asynchronous' meetings, which do
not require everyone to be online at the same time. These 'non-meetings'
were also supported by e-mail, private
newsgroups and web
postings. The greatest advantage to these asynchronous meetings is that
participants can contribute at their leisure. Using some common-sense
tools can make 'async' meetings work far better than either of
the previous 'meeting' models; thus the non-meeting. In fact,
these tools can make many online communications, not just meetings, more
efficient and more meaningful.
A Peek in the
E-Conference Toolbox
Consider these simple
ways to make the most of electronic communications:
- The first rule of
working together is identifying the audience for the message — and
determining how it will read the message. To illustrate, you
don't generally speak to one colleague in the same way you address
a gathering of 50 colleagues. The context of your words needs to be tempered in a group environment such as a newsgroup or message
board. The result is that your communications are generally clearer,
and everyone understands one another better.
- The subject of
your message should address the purpose of your message clearly and
briefly. Even when you respond to an e-mail message, avoid
replying without changing the "Re:" line. Virtually all
e-mail and newsreader programs allow you to write a new subject line
when you respond to a message. Try changing this line to text that
reflects your message.
- Quoting is a
powerful tool for clarifying messages, but it can also totally
confuse your message. Quoting is best used
in small doses and placed before your answer. Think of it as the
"salt" in your message: not enough or too much and your
message will be unpalatable. By developing the habit of editing a
quoted message down to the part you are answering, then adding your
answer, you can avoid confusion, misunderstanding, and wasted time.
For More
Information
This article has just
scratched the surface of the power of working together electronically.
For more information, visit the
IEEE Region 3 E-Conference Committee's website. If your IEEE group — whether
a section, chapter, branch, or council — wants
to start using these techniques, the Region 3 E-Conference Committee can
provide resources and training. Contact Committee Chair Bill Ratcliff at
w.ratcliff@ieee.org.
back to top
Charles Lord is IEEE
Region 3 Conferences Chair and a member of the Region 3 E-Conf Team.
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