Rules can help bring order to an event, and conference calls are a time when you need that. Otherwise, you end up with people talking over each other, getting off track, or being distracting because they can’t figure out how to mute themselves in a busy coffee shop. 

You can usually remedy the situation by having the best conferencing service that features controls over meeting flow, and setting up some rules in advance so everyone is clear on how to have the most productive meeting.

Make Sure You Start on Time

One of the most aggravating things about conference calls is that they rarely start on time. The right software will go a long way to ensure that you at least get everyone who shows up promptly, into the call as quickly as possible. 
Make sure you have software that enables multiple joining options that are easy to understand and use for the smoothest start-up possible. Some systems offer web and mobile joining with just the click of a button, or direct local and toll-free dial-in without the use of multiple passcodes.

Getting people who show up on time into your meeting is only half the battle. Employees are often reluctant to join conference calls because they feel like it is a waste of time, or they are just complicated, boring, and not enjoyable. 
We all know when you don’t want to do something, it is a challenge to motivate yourself to be on time. But when one or two employees are late, it delays everyone’s day. 

Let everyone involved know that you expect them to be on time so your meeting doesn’t become the waste of time some may think it is. Your conference calling software may even have attendance tracking services that report who came to your meeting, what time they got there, and what time they left, so you can follow up with people who are having trouble with punctuality.

A Meeting Agenda Keeps Everyone on Track

Have you ever spent fifteen minutes in a call listening to people talk about ponies when your meeting was about company-wide healthcare benefits? Someone brought up their daughter’s birthday party (which had ponies), someone else chimed in, and before you knew it, the call was completely off the rails. 

This scenario happens to everyone at some point in their conference calling experiences—which may be why some people think conference calls are a waste of time.

You could use the controls within your software to put a stop to the superfluous conversation by muting everyone in the meeting except for the presenter. Some systems even allow for switching between presenters. 

This may be a helpful approach if the meeting has a large number of attendees, or if you are only doing an audio call. However, using this tactic with a smaller meeting or a closer group of employees may leave some feeling discredited. In these situations, a meeting agenda may be the solution.

A well-defined meeting agenda helps you know if, when, and where, there is space for a little bit of sidetracking and cajoling. When there is too much to cover to allow for any time spent on antics and personal interest conversations, everyone will have the agenda backing up your protests right in front of them.

Sending out an agenda that includes who is speaking, in what order they are speaking, and what they are speaking about helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page. An agenda clarifies the most important points, and everyone will know when they have the floor.

Cut Back on Distractions

Distractions are a big problem on conference calls. Everyone has been in a call with that one person who leaves the mute off, watching football and eating potato chips the whole time. This is not a conducive situation for having a productive meeting. 

You want your employees to attend your meeting ready to pay attention and get the most out of the time you are sharing.
If you are doing an audio-only call or your meeting has a lot of attendees, group muting is probably the best solution here. You need to be careful if you are doing this with your smaller team, however. 

As stated earlier, it may lead employees to feel like you don’t trust them, which could lead to disengagement.
One way to make sure there are as few distractions as possible is to invest in noise-canceling headsets for everyone. You can get them at a fairly reasonable price, and they eliminate any noise in the background that can’t be helped. 
Let employees know that you expect them to be present and engaged, but to mute themselves if they must do anything noisy.

End Your Meeting on Time

A well-run meeting where everyone easily joins on time, then stays on track, engaged, and focused can be enjoyable. But the best part of having rules for conference calls with your employees? 
Ending on time. Make this kind of conference call the norm, and you may find yourself and your team looking forward to them.