Running a Zoom Meeting Protocol
This is a guide to running and attending a Zoom meeting. Zoom meetings can be run in many different ways but there are some basic guidelines that are helpful to understand how to use this technology. If you want to run an in-person meeting you should see Running a meeting protocol.
When to run a Zoom meeting
You should run a Zoom meeting when a group of people need to discuss something (such as individual support work, protocol etc.) and it is not possible, practical or safe to meet in-person.
During the COVID-19 pandemic you should have meetings on Zoom rather than in person whenever possible in order to reduce face-to-face contact. Please see Policy for doing support work in the covid 19 pandemic.
What to do before running a Zoom meeting
You should send a message on the relevant communication platform (Slack, Signal, Whatsapp etc.) announcing that there is a need for a meeting and what it will be about. You should find the date and time that is most convenient for as many of the people who want to come as possible - you can do this by setting up a Doodle poll, or asking people to react to a Slack message with emojis for different dates and times, or similar.
If you are planning to run your Zoom from the Queercare Zoom account or from the paid Zoom account that Queercare has access to you must check the Queercare Zoom Calendar to ensure the account you want to use is available at that time. The way to do this is by going to the channel named #using-slack-and-zoom on the Queercare Slack workspace and going to the Teamup calendar linked in the channel description.
If your meeting is planned to last for 40 minutes or less you can use the Queercare Zoom account. The login information for this account is in a pinned message in #using-slack-and-zoom. If your meeting is planned to last for longer than this, you can use the paid Zoom account that Queercare has access to by messaging @finn or @tamar on Slack or emailing [email protected] or [email protected], who will make you a link.
You should make an agenda as far in advance as you can and share it on the relevant communication platforms.
You should decide who will facilitate and who will take minutes.
You can plan for around 10mins for someone to be late to the meeting.
How to schedule a meeting on Zoom and make a link
You can schedule, run and join Zoom meetings from a browser, a desktop app or a phone app.
Once you have confirmed a date and time for your meeting you need to schedule it to create a link so that other people will be able to join.
If you are using a browser go to https://zoom.us/meeting/schedule and sign in to the Zoom account. You should then see a page with boxes to enter information about the meeting you want to run.
- In 'Topic' you should write the name of the meeting.
- You can add additional information in 'Description (Optional)'.
- You must enter the date and time your meeting is planned for in 'When'.
- You must enter the planned length of your meeting in 'Duration'.
- You should make sure the time zone is correct in 'Time Zone'.
- If you want to schedule a meeting that happens regularly (eg. the same time and day every week) and which uses the same link every time you should tick the box next to 'Recurring meeting' and then fill in the details.
- In 'Meeting ID' you should select 'Generate Automatically'.
- If you want to add a password so that only people with the password, as well as the link, can join the meeting, you should do this by selecting 'Require meeting password' in 'Meeting Password'. If you do this you must make sure everyone who is planning to come to the meeting knows the password. If you don't want to add a password you must make sure the box next to 'Require meeting password' is not checked.
- You can change the rest of the settings based on your preferences.
- You should select 'Both' in 'Audio' so that people can join using Wifi or phone signal.
When you have filled out this page click 'Save'. You will then be taken to a page with information about the Zoom you have scheduled. Next to 'Join URL' there will be a short link. You must copy this link and send it to the people who are planning to come to the meeting (such as by pasting it in the relevant Slack channel or Signal/Whatsapp group).
If you are using the app, open the app and then select 'Schedule', which is a blue box with a calendar emoji in it.
- In the box at the top you should write the name of the meeting.
- In 'Date' you must select the date your meeting is planned to be on.
- In 'From' you must select the time your meeting is planned to start.
- In 'To' you must select the time your meeting is planned to end.
- In 'Time Zone' you should check the time zone is correct.
- If you want to schedule a meeting that happens regularly (eg. the same time and day every week) and which uses the same link every time you should change this setting in 'Repeat'.
- If you want to add a password so that only people with the password, as well as the link, can join the meeting, you should do this by selecting the box in 'Meeting Password' so that it is filled in. In 'Password' you should enter the password you want to you and you must then make sure everyone who wants to come to the meeting is sent the password. If you don't want to add a password you must make sure the box in 'Meeting Password' is not selected.
- You can change the other options depending on your preferences.
When you have filled this out select 'Done'. You will then be taken to a page with information about the meeting you have scheduled. Select 'Add Invitees' and then select 'Copy'/'Copy to clipboard' to copy the information people will need to join. You must share this with the people who are planning to come to the meeting (such as by pasting it in the relevant Slack channel or Signal/Whatsapp group).
How to start a Zoom meeting
To start the meeting log in to the Zoom account on browser or open the app.
On browser, select 'My Account' select 'Meetings' on the sidebar on the left to see a list of the meetings scheduled on the account. Click 'Start' next to the meeting you want to start.
On the app select 'Meetings' at the bottom of the page to see a list of the meetings scheduled on the account. Click 'Start' next to the meeting you want to start.
This will activate the link and people who click the link that has been sent in advance will be able to join the meeting.
How to join a Zoom meeting
When the meeting is planned to happen, click the link that has been shared in advance. When a host starts the meeting you will be taken into a screen that has a box for everyone who is in the meeting.
How to use Zoom in a meeting
If you are on a computer or a phone select 'Audio'in the bottom left hand corner and 'Join using computer audio' so that you can hear what others are saying.
On a browser or in the Zoom desktop app, hover over the screen and a bar with different options will appear the the bottom of the screen. Starting from the bottom left:
- 'Mute'/'Unmute' to mute yourself (so that others can't hear you) or unmute yourself (so others can hear you speak).
- 'Start Video'/'End Video' to start your video (so that the others in the meeting can see you) or end your video (so that what the others see for you is a blank square).
- 'Share Screen' if you want the others in the meeting to be able to view another webpage you have open - this is useful if you want to share something you're working on or show how to use something (for example, if you are running a webinar on how to use Slack).
- 'Chat' to get up a the chat in a sidebar on the right of the screen - in the chat you can type messages that can be seen by anyone, or send messages to a specific person individually. At the bottom of the chat bar it says 'To:' and has a name next to it. Select 'Everyone' if you want your message to be seen by everyone in the meeting or the name of the person you want to message if you just want to message one person.
- 'Record' if you want to record the meeting so that you can play it back later. If you want to record the meeting you must check this with the other people in the meeting first, especially if the meeting is discussing sensitive, secure or confidential information.
On a smartphone, tap the screen and bar with different options will appear the the bottom of the screen. Starting from the bottom left:
- 'Mute'/'Unmute' to mute yourself (so that others can't hear you) or unmute yourself (so others can hear you speak).
- 'Start Video'/'End Video' to start your video (so that the others in the meeting can see you) or end your video (so that what the others see for you is a blank square).
- 'Share' if you want to share something with the others in the meeting, such as sharing your screen, sharing a web URL, sharing a photo or sharing a document.
- 'Participants' to see a list of the other participants in the meeting. If you want to get up the chat, tap 'Participants' and then tap 'Chats', which is in the bottom left hand corner. Next to 'Send to' you can change who you want to send a message to ('Everyone' to send in a general chat that everyone in the meeting can see, or someone's name to send it just to them).
If you are hosting a Zoom meeting from your phone tap 'Participants' to manage participants (such as muting/unmuting people).
What to do in a Zoom meeting
You should check that everyone understands how to get up the chat, mute/unmute themselves and turn their video on/off and explain this at the start of the meeting if anyone is unsure.
You should make sure there are 10 minutes of break every hour.
You should wait a few minutes for people to join late.
If you want to say something you should write 'hand' in the chat or turn your camera on and put your hand up, and the facilitator should call on you in turn.
For people who can't use their mic or speak, you must wait after they've said hand for them to type up things.
You should Action Point specific people to carry tasks forwards.
What to do after doing a Zoom meeting
The minute-taker should ensure minutes are shared on the relevant communication platforms. The minute-taker should remind people of the tasks they have agreed to take forwards.