As we approach the end of the year, and still face the challenges of the pandemic, for many of us, the majority of the social interaction we have at work continues to happen virtually, through apps like Zoom. As I’ve written in the past, we know we’re all starting to feel a little Zoom fatigue at this point. With that in mind, here are a few tips for supporting your meeting’s attendees’ wellbeing and boosting productivity while you’re at it:
- Agendas are worth the effort – write up a few bullet points on what you plan to cover in your meeting and email it to attendees 1-3 days before. This helps everyone come to the meeting mentally prepared and makes you organize your own thoughts beforehand. People will be more at ease and more willing to participate productively if they know what will be discussed. You’ll use time more efficiently and perhaps even be able to end early! Agendas are a pro-move, and your attendees will appreciate the benefits of having one.
- Have a walking meeting – get things done while you get some movement in! if you have a two-person meeting scheduled that is less formal in nature, consider making it a walking meeting! Keep a distance if in-person, or use Zoom with audio only. Or better yet…
- Go old-school with a phone call – many folks dealing with Zoom fatigue are opting for meeting via a good-old-fashioned phone call! With the freedom cell phones give us, you might be able to take your meeting outside, on a walk, or even just in another room, for a change of scenery and to minimize distractions.
- Leave time in that hour for transition – Set meetings for 50 minutes or 25 minutes rather than an hour or a half hour. Intentionally ending with a bit of time left in the hour allows your meeting attendees to take a bio break, stretch, or grab a bite, but most importantly, it gives them time to process what was discussed in your meeting, put those action items on their to-do list, and better transition to the next meeting on their schedule.
- Be mindful of the time – for those who are social distancing, it can be easy to lose track of time, especially when we miss the interactions we used to have with our colleagues. To be respectful of your meeting attendees, keep an eye on the time. Drag your Zoom window next to the clock on your computer’s desktop. Mention the time when a few minutes remain so that folks have an opportunity to wrap up or schedule a time to resume the discussion. If they say, “that’s ok, I don’t have anything after this” and you’d like to keep talking, ask when their next meeting is so that you know when you’ll need to adjourn. Being respectful of others’ time and treating it valuably is a positive way to signal that you care about their wellbeing.
Whichever methods you chose, now is a time to be mindful of the attention spans and energy levels of those you work with, and be respectful of their time. If you are setting up a meeting, use your social awareness to think creatively about how you can make the best of everyone’s time!