We are all on a journey of discovery at the moment, due to the plentiful hours we are putting in working from home. Suddenly human contact has been replaced with Zoom meetings and this can cause fatigue easily. It can also affect the productivity of your work, especially if you are constantly leading and arranging these meetings. Firstly, you need a space that works for you. The warmer months can bring discomfort if we don’t have the atmospherics preferable to work – for example, if you have an AC issue, call emergency ac repair so that it is one less thing to worry about.
Here are some more tips to assist you with your video meetings:
Plan well
Planning ahead will help you think about how much time should be devoted during a virtual meeting to each topic, and hence what its length should be. We often tend to automatically schedule one-hour appointments, when in practice it only takes 15 or 30 minutes. If you forget to turn on your camera, the other participants may not be able to read your body language and may draw incorrect conclusions about you. The camera also allows for clarity on your part about who the speakers are, and what they are really trying to convey. Simple decor and excellent lighting will make you feel more confident in front of the camera.
When hosting a virtual meeting from home, make sure that your surroundings are free of many objects and noises, and that your face is well lit. Try facing the window or the lights on. Avoid sitting with the window behind you, as this may make you look like a silhouette. Do you have optimal lighting? Try installing a feature that blurs your background. Is the environment noisy? This may be unavoidable if you have children running around but try to soundproof the room if you can. Dressing in a professional outfit will make you feel more in control than sitting in an old jumper or slouchies. Whilst this may be appropriate in your line of work, it may not get you into the correct mindset for the meeting. Add a little lipstick too or mascara just to brighten your face.
Politeness and friendliness is key
At the beginning of the session, politely ask permission to record it. That way, if someone is absent from the meeting you can send them the recording. In addition, you can watch the conversation again and get any further information that you need from it. This approach will also shorten the duration of the sessions, as no time will be wasted on typing and taking notes. It is always advisable to decide in advance who will be the person to chair the meeting. This person will be responsible for making sure the technology works for everyone properly, sharing screens, muting and opening the microphone for speakers and more. It is recommended that you give the meeting manager a copy of the content that will be displayed, so that they can share it if technical difficulties arise.
Yes, we do all have Zoom fatigue, however, you can beat it and use it to your advantage!
