A glimpse into Virtualmind’s Q Meetings

It is said that times go faster when you are enjoying yourself. My time as Virtualmind’s CEO is empirical proof of that. But before I dive deeper into this article, I wanted to briefly describe what being part of Virtualmind looks like. We created a company where everyone takes care of each other and works very hard to make sure we all have a  wonderful time while nailing our awesome projects! And I am certain that this would not be possible without the input of everyone in the Virtualmind family. 

I will not deny that working with a team based all over Latin America is a challenge. However, if there is one company ready to succeed at it, that is Virtualmind. We organize different kinds of activities and provide training and certifications, not to mention the endless benefits such as active pause sessions, or the chance to request a book or reserve a coworking space around the globe. 

But as much as we all like having fun, there are more technical or protocol events too. In this article, I wanted to use Virtualmind’s Q meetings as proof that even more “serious” events can be adapted to your organizational culture. As the name suggests, they are quarterly meetings we host with the aim of keeping everyone in the loop about what is going on at the company. Including each team’s objectives and results, a recognition to the team members that standed out this Q, updates on each partner and a Q&A session to give everyone a say, among others. Our horizontal culture implies it is essential to us that everyone is well aware of the latest news and updates. But it does not hurt to turn this event into an enjoyable experience rather than a boring one, right?

3 ways of making informative meetings more personal and enjoyable:

• Break the ice with a game
  

  Do not let the virtual barrier kill the mood. Prepare an icebreaker game to keep people engaged while waiting for everyone to join. And if you want to spice things up a bit, having a prize for the winner is always valued!

• The way to everyone’s heart is through the stomach
  

  Why not share a virtual snack while we hear the company’s latest updates? Before the meeting, each Virtualminder receives a gift from Mindy, our mascot: a special card that lets you buy something yummy!

• Kick it up a notch
  

  Who does not like a thematic event? Make it fun by giving the Q Meeting a theme. An easy way of finding one is by paying attention to the time of the year. For example, last October we made it about Halloween or this past one was on May 4th and we had no other option but to make it about Star Wars!

To conclude, transparency and collaboration in a successful company are key. There will be meetings we enjoy more and other ones more informative or rather boring. It is up to you to decide whether to accept that or come up with something fun to keep everyone engaged and motivated. In addition, with this article, I wanted to show you how important it is to maintain your identity and culture all the time, regardless of the task. Not only do you have to own a clear vision, goal and well defined values but also you have to act and live according to them. And I also wanted to highlight how crucial it is to collaborate with the other teams, as our Q meetings would not be as cool and fun if it was not for everyone’s vision. Once again, collaboration and teamwork take the spotlight.

Please allow me a tip before this article ends: whenever you doubt yourself or are afraid of making mistakes, remind yourself how cool it is to work doing your best to improve your colleagues’ day!