When Web conferencing systems don't reach their full potential, it's likely because the participants aren't sharing information, not because the technology has failed.
According to the experts, communicating online both improves and depersonalizes communication. Take e-mail; it's a killer app because it's easy to use. But studies also show that people use it to avoid speaking with someone, especially if the message is in any way unpleasant.
"The vast majority of virtual communication projects I have studied follow a definite pattern," says Tom Sudman, CEO of Knoxville, Tennessee-based DigitalAV, a consulting firm that specializes in virtual business processes. "In the first 30 to 45 days, the team members share a great degree of excitement and a heightened commitment to the technology and the project. After 60 days, you will see the participants gradually starting to lose interest in joining the conversations." Around three months after the team is formed, says Sudman, most people stop responding to calls for meetings and the system becomes more of a relic than a productivity tool.
But with a better understanding of some potential pitfalls, you can increase the odds of success for your online collaboration initiative.
"Make online conversations similar to and as natural as real-world conversations, only more efficient," says Steve Londergan, Lotus Sametime's technical manager. "Keep things moving to maintain the interest, take advantage of all of the technology's visual and multimedia features such as audio, images, video, even music."
To counteract the tendency of some members to commandeer the meeting, Londergan recommends that companies develop a manual outlining expected and inappropriate online behavior.
The solution is not to try to quell intellectual conflict but to manage it. That requires a full-time moderator so that online discussions stay on course and don't overburden the network. You should strive to use a single moderator. Large meetings with considerable interaction might require two.
