Technology is the backbone of a work-from-home setup & virtual meetings play one of the biggest roles in it. Offices worked when people collaborated in person; now, for this setup to work, people need to connect virtually. Especially after CORONA, it has become the new normal.
People now intentionally look for work-from-home or hybrid opportunities. As far as it holds multiple benefits, it brings fatigue from constantly sitting in front of the screens. Meetings require your utmost attention, and one simply cannot afford to look tired in those meetings. Participants often look drained and unproductive, which is called virtual fatigue. In this article, we will discuss the ways to minimize virtual fatigue and conduct effective meetings.
Pre-Meeting Preparations
A meeting can be effective if you prepare for it well. Strategic preparations can reduce the last-minute chaos. A few steps for the preparation include –
Defining Clear Objectives – Know the purpose of your meeting and identify the key takeaways you expect.
Share the Agenda – Make sure everyone is aware of the agenda of the meeting; they must know about key discussion points, speakers, etc This helps them come prepared.
Platform – What platform you choose for the meeting matters. It must be user-friendly, support screen sharing, and have a stable connection, be it Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet
Streamline Participants
One of the major reasons for virtual fatigue is overcrowding, you must only invite those people who are necessary. In case information needs to be transferred, recording the meeting is a better option to update everyone rather than overcrowding. You must be using the Two-Pizza rule, which says that if two pizzas can’t feed all the participants of the meeting, it’s too many people.
Having too many people can hinder productivity; there might not be enough time for everyone to share their thoughts, also people would be less likely to conduct in-depth conversations.
Time Management
Virtual fatigue mostly happens when the meetings are dragged unnecessarily or when people avoid the main point of discussion. To avoid this, there must be proper time slots designed. Moreover, meetings must start and end on time, and everyone’s time must be valued. Allocate time slots to different agendas, and move along if a particular agenda doesn’t make any progress.
Have a timekeeper to subtly alert everyone in case time is running out
Ways to avoid fatigue
It is very common to feel tired sitting for a very long time in front of the screen, even though physical activity is minimal, it can still be exhausting. To avoid it, go forward with the 50-minute rule, where if the meeting moves longer than 50 minutes, take a break for 10 minutes, and offer a camera off option for long meetings, it helps in reducing screen fatigue.
Promote stretching in the breaks, to move out of the chair in between breaks, it makes the mind and body active.
Reduce information overloading
Often, participants get overloaded with information, and it becomes too much to even process. Keep the meetings light and short with 2-3 set key agendas that are both of utmost urgency and importance.
If the meeting is going to be heavy on information, send it beforehand to the participants so that they come prepared. Highlight all the action items and decisions clearly during the call so that any major point doesn’t go left out.
Visual Aids
To avoid meetings from being monotonous, work on the visuals, which are mostly the slides of the presentation, infographics, and flowcharts. More importantly, use annotating tools to guide people through the visuals and not confuse them.
Try making bullet points in the slides and not a wall of text, also try sharing real-time data while discussing the reports.
Feedback is important
Try incorporating a micro feedback system in the meetings, try to know what the other person is thinking about the same by simply asking, “Does this make sense?” or “Can we move on?”
You can take quick polls to know whether people are in consensus. All these techniques help in preventing long silences. It even keeps everyone actively engaged.
Final Thoughts
Virtual meetings are today not an option but a necessity, we must learn how to bring the best out in it and be productive enough. Without proper planning and execution, they can easily lead to fatigue and disengagement. All those strategies discussed above are effective if practiced mindfully. Setting agendas, using the right tools, and managing time wisely, you can use these virtual meetings as productive and collaborative sessions. Mastering virtual meetings not only enhances productivity but also strengthens the teams, making the sessions impactful and energizing.
