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Tips to cope with Zoom Fatigue

Tips to cope with Zoom Fatigue

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers taught their students in a classroom, business meetings were held in the conference room of a company, and family get-togethers happened around the dinner table.  That all got turned upside down with the pandemic. But thanks to today’s technology, people can still meet in a virtual environment.  Zoom, Teams, FaceTime, Skype, GoToWebinar, and other virtual meeting platforms allowed school, business, and family gatherings to happen virtually. However, there is a cost associated with this:  Zoom Fatigue.

What is Zoom Fatigue?

Do you feel completely wiped out after a day of virtual meetings? If so, you’re not alone. Google the phrase “zoom fatigue” and you will find hundreds of articles regarding this syndrome, along with a variety of tips to help you cope. According to an article in Psychiatric Times, it is defined as “the tiredness, worry, or burnout associated with overusing virtual platforms of communication.”

The Causes

There are many factors that play into this.  The most common are:

  • Lack of non-verbal cues
  • Increased eye-contact
  • Excessive visual stimulus
Importance of Non-Verbal Cues

People rely on non-verbal cues to understand what is being said to them. In fact, experts estimate that 70-93% of all communication is non-verbal! If you are having a face-to-face conversation with someone, you are aware of the other person’s body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice, in addition to the words they use. That allows you to interpret a phrase like, “I can’t wait for the holidays” as excitement or sarcasm based on the tone of voice or body language.

Enter the virtual environment, and all those unspoken ways we communicate are removed. We can only see a person’s face and hear their words. That means our brains have to work much harder to understand what is being said. The extra mental effort makes us tired.

Too Much Eye Contact

In a normal meeting situation, it’s normal to look at the person speaking. However, most people will also shift their gaze to the notes they are taking, glance at another person in the room, look at the presentation, or even briefly look out a window.

When you have your display set in gallery view, you can see every person in the meeting whether they are speaking or not, all at the same time. This amount of eye contact is much higher than what you experience in a face-to-face meeting.  It also feels like people are staring directly at you, which creates anxiety.

Faces on a monitor display can also appear too large, which makes it feel like they are physically very close to you. This can feel threatening or too intimate. Experiencing those strong emotions for hours each day is not natural and causes fatigue.

Visual Overload

Rather than looking at one or two people in a single environment, during a virtual meeting you are seeing multiple people in multiple environments simultaneously. Your brain can only process one speaker and one environment at a time.  Throw in the added distractions of someone’s child or pet running through the background can put your brain on cognitive overload.

The solution

Virtual meetings aren’t going away, so it’s important you find ways to manage your meetings to keep your mind fresh and energized. Here are several tips to help you cope with Zoom Fatigue.

  • Limit virtual meetings to no more than three days a week
  • Schedule 1:1 meetings by phone whenever possible
  • Spend more time on phone calls to help you recognize auditory cues such as intonation, inflection, and rate of speech
  • Take breaks between video meetings
  • Go outside between meetings, or look out a window
  • Get up, stretch, and walk around for a few minutes before joining the next call
  • Turn off your video feed periodically
  • Change your screen settings so you don’t see your own face on the display
  • Minimize the gallery view so faces don’t appear to be too close
  • Set up a simple green screen so you can easily change your background to a beach or other relaxing scene (see Chapter 10 in Lead Virtual Great Meetings for tips to do this)
  • Declutter your work space so your background in videos can be less distracting to others (and encourage your team members to do the same)
  • When leading a meeting, give your participants the option to turn off their video feed.
  • Keep meetings as short as possible

While you may not be able to completely eliminate Zoom fatigue, taking steps to reduce it will give you a sense of empowerment, put you in control, and increase your productivity. That’s a win for you and your company.

How to Make a Great First Impression Virtually

How to Make a Great First Impression Virtually

You’ve probably heard the expression “You never get a second chance to make a great first impression.” According to an article in Association for Psychological Science, first impressions can happen in as little as a tenth of a second! So, how do you make a great first impression virtually? It’s easier than you think!

Being well-prepared is critical in today’s virtual world

Follow these suggestions on how to make a great first impression, and you will ease your jitters and appear more confident, too!

Technology tips
  • Check the lighting in your office. If possible, face a window and never sit with a window in back of you. Combine natural and artificial light from a desk and/or overhead lamp for best results. With any lighting choices, look at the light bulb’s CRI, or color-rendering index. For the most natural looking light, make sure the CRI is as close to 100 as possible.
  • Always test your webcam placement and audio connection before your virtual meeting begins. Ideally, your head position will be in the top third of your monitor display. Also, audio checks are a must. Changes to the platform, system updates, or a host of other reasons can cause your audio controls to shift.
  • Use a microphone with noise reduction (or your cell phone earbuds) to limit common background noises such as street noise, lawn mowers, barking dogs, and noisy children.
  • Minimize distractions by placing your mobile device(s) on airplane mode. Close any other applications other than the meeting platform.
Watch your body language
  • Look directly at the camera to engage your participants as you speak. Your participants will feel you’re looking directly at them.
  • Smile, sit up straight, and be sincerely interested in your topic and your participants.
  • Keep your body and your feet still. Fidgeting during a meeting screams “I’m not interested!” and damages your connection with your participants.
  • Avoid crossing your arms and keep your hands either to your side or in your lap.
  • Dress professionally. While no one will see your fuzzy slippers, you will unconsciously project a more business-like attitude when you dress as you would for a face-to-face setting.
Practice makes perfect
  • Practice your meeting in advance and record the session. Review the recording and make an honest assessment to how you appear on camera. Note what made you look confident. Did anything make you look tentative or uncertain?
  • Arrive at least 10 minutes early for audio-only meetings. Plan on arriving 20-30 minutes early for video conferencing meetings on platforms such as Zoom,
  • Make sure your background and desk are clear of clutter and distractions. This enhances your online presence.

If you want to make a great first impression on your next meeting, be fully prepared. Check your technology tools ahead of time, arrive early, stay focused on engaging with your participants, and let your confidence shine!

How to Get Your Derailed Meeting Back on Track

How to Get Your Derailed Meeting Back on Track

Have you ever led a meeting that got sidetracked by a participant who was long-winded? How about when there is a loud echo or feedback and no one can be heard over the noise? These are just two common examples of ways meetings get off track. It’s frustrating for both the participants and the leader. Here’s how to get your derailed meeting back on track.

The power of “pause”

The most effective way to handle these issues is to use the word “pause.” Saying “pause” allows you to quickly interrupt and address the issue, but not appear rude.

When someone is rambling

Let’s say you have a participant who is long-winded and taking up too much time. You need a strategy that will allow you to interrupt without offending them.

What to say:
“Bob, please pause for a moment. You’re making some interesting points. Can you sum up your ideas in one sentence?”

Once he makes a summary sentence, say:
“Thank you. I appreciate hearing your thoughts, Bob. Does anyone else have anything to add?”

Using “pause” with background noise

There is nothing worse than the screeching sound of feedback or echoes during a call. Frequently it happens because someone called from a mobile device, but sometimes other technology issues can cause it. Regardless of the reason, it’s critical that you address it as quickly as possible.

Here is how to do that:
“Everyone, please pause. Hang up your phone and dial back in so we can resume without this noise.”

This strategy normally takes care of the unwelcome noise, and you can continue.

Another way to deal with the noise is to mute each person individually to discover which line is noisy,

This is how you handle that scenario:
“Please pause, everyone. I am going to individually mute everyone’s line to identify which phone is the source of the noise.”

Pro tip: When using this approach, start with muting the last person who called in to see if that resolves the issue. If it does, say this:

“Mary, you are on mute right now and the noise completely disappeared. Please hang up and call back in using a landline or your computer mic/speaker rather than your cell phone. Thank you!”

Setting the stage for “pause”

The leader must set the stage for this strategy to be effective. It is critical that the ground rules are laid out so the participants know what to expect before the start of any meeting. You can send that ahead of time with your agenda, or go over a short list of housekeeping at the start of the call (or both, to really reinforce the concept!)

Here are some things to include:

  • Arrive on time
  • Call in from a landline or use computer mic/speaker
  • If you hear the word “Pause”, please stop speaking. The word “Pause” is only used when there is an issue the meeting leader needs to address quickly
  • Only speak when asked to
  • Be respectful when others are speaking, and wait your turn
  • Come prepared, and contribute to finding solutions

Become comfortable with using the word “Pause” and you’ll always know how to get your derailed meeting back on track!

The Secret Sauce for Building Connection

The Secret Sauce for Building Connection

Have you ever known a teacher, boss, or other leader who was so inspirational, that people around them were able to accomplish more? That type of leader is able to touch and motivate people at a deep level, and the results they get are amazing.  Have you wondered what their “secret sauce” is, and can you have it, too?

The difference comes down to two words: connection and engagement

When you hold a meeting, whether your participants are virtual or in the same room with you, they may be physically present, but are they really listening to you? If they aren’t listening, what are they doing instead? Most likely multi-tasking and feeling resentful that their time is being wasted on yet another meeting.  In other words, your participants do not feel any connection to you, which leads to disengagement.

You have to create connection before you can build engagement

The secret sauce for building connection during your virtual meetings is to shift from being “me-focused” to being “participant-focused.”  This can be challenging, especially if you’re fairly new at leading meetings.

You may be worried about:

  • Technology issues
  • The meeting content
  • Presentation materials
  • How you look and sound on video
  • Performance anxiety

While these are important points to consider, the second you shift your attention away from your participants to focus on one of those concerns, you break the connection, and lose an opportunity to hear what others have to say.

How to become “participant-focused” 

To become participant-focused isn’t difficult, but it takes practice to implement. One simple way to make that shift is to eliminate the words “I,” “me” and “my” and substitute the word “you.”  For example:

  • “I find these five best practices to be effective.” (me-focused)
  • “Here are five best practices—which of these work best for you? (participant-focused)
  • “I think we need to solve this problem by doing this…” (me-focused)
  • “Sue, what are your thoughts for solving this problem? (participant-focused)

Participants stop listening when they hear “I,” “me” and “my” throughout a conversation or presentation.  When they stop listening, there is no learning, and no interest in working towards your goals. Once you shift your language to “you”, the content becomes about your participants, and gives them a reason to listen.

Asking questions—a powerful way for building connection

Another useful way to become participant-focused is to ask questions, and really listen to the responses.

Starting your meeting with a question such as, “What do you want to take away from today’s meeting?” will instantly build connection and get your participants in “meeting mode” quickly. Questions help focus participants attention on the meeting content, so they stay more engaged in what is being discussed.

Ask questions throughout your meeting to continue to build connection and to keep participants engaged in the conversation.  Avoid giving your “solution” to the group if your meeting is dealing with some challenges that need to be resolved. Instead, let the participants know in advance that you want their feedback on some key points, and then ask each person for their ideas on how to solve the issues.

Note: Never surprise your participants at the last minute by calling on them. Instead of creating connection, this approach will push them away from you. A best practice is to send a reminder to everyone who needs to be in attendance a day or two before the meeting, and outline the key areas where you will request their input. At that time, make it clear that you will ask everyone for their suggestions.

Building connection isn’t about agreeing with everything that someone has said

Rather, it’s about giving people a chance to say what’s on their minds, and to know that what they’ve said has been heard. When people feel heard, they are more willing to accept the outcome if a different idea is chosen as the solution, yet still feel they are a valued member of the group.

All great leaders have the secret sauce for building connection. When people feel connection, they become engaged and involved in the meeting, and are more likely to take follow-up actions that move your team or company closer to their goals.

 

What to Do When Your Virtual Meeting Goes Bonkers

What to Do When Your Virtual Meeting Goes Bonkers

As we move into the new normal, virtual meetings are here to stay. However, virtual meetings can have many technology issues that will derail your meeting!  So, the question is what to do about them.

Whether it’s Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a conference call, podcast, webinar, or going live on social media, there are two givens in any virtual meeting:

  • 20-25 percent of ALL virtual meetings have technology problems that can disrupt the meeting.
  • Expect the unexpected. Never underestimate the ability of the internet, the meeting software, mistakes you make, or a mindless participant to create technology issues.

Despite the fact that technology issues will never completely go away, there is one key area you must always pay attention to.

What matters most on EVERY virtual meeting

If someone were to ask you what is the most important element of a successful virtual meeting, what would you say?

You may be surprised to learn that it’s the audio. Here’s why:

  • Even with a video feed, if the audio breaks up, participants leave.
  • Limited bandwidth and slow internet speeds often force participants to join your meeting in auditory-only mode.

That means any participant who joins your virtual meeting in audio-only mode is on the modern-day version of a conference call! Consequently, your primary focus must always be on the audio, rather than the video feed.

To illustrate this point, several years ago I led a NAR webinar with over 1,400 participants. Halfway through the meeting, a thunderstorm knocked out our internet. Fortunately, I still had an old-fashioned landline. I dialed back in and picked up where I left off as a conference call. The meeting organizers were amazed that virtually no one dropped off the meeting.

This example illustrates why it’s important to always have a backup plan for moving to an audio-only format if your internet or wi-fi connection fails. The quality of your audio feed is what will make or break your meeting.

Excerpted from Lead Great Virtual Meetings, The Steps You Need to Succeed, by Bernice Ross and Byron Van Arsdale copyright 2021

Three Best Practices All Virtual Leaders Can Use

Three Best Practices All Virtual Leaders Can Use

Managers and leaders had to pivot quickly to shift from face-to-face meetings to virtual meetings at the start of the new “work-from-home” era without any guidance. Today, it’s obvious that virtual meetings are here to stay as organizations adopt hybrid work solutions, and many companies making work-from-home solutions permanent. It’s more important than ever that leaders learn to improve their leadership style during virtual meetings to keep their participants/team engaged and productive.

Implement these simple, but powerful, best practices the next time you are leading a virtual meeting, and experience the difference it makes in the effectiveness of your meeting.

1. Request comments, feedback, and other contributions to the meeting in advance.
Remember how you felt in school when a teacher called on you unexpectedly? Your meeting participants are all adults, but being put on the spot by an unexpected question still causes most people anxiety. If you want comments and feedback from everyone during the meeting, let participants know ahead of time so they come prepared. It is helpful to send out a meeting agenda in advance as well, so everyone knows what the focus of the meeting is.

2. Acknowledge contributions and feedback.
Every member of your team has a need to feel included and valued in your organization. Use active listening skills and give your undivided attention when someone is sharing their thoughts or feedback. Thanking them for presenting their ideas will encourage more engagement from others in the meeting. These simple acts build trust and create an environment that encourages engagement.  Participants will follow the example you set, and you will see more collaboration occurring as team members also acknowledge each other’s ideas and feedback.

3. Always start and end on time.
It’s important to realize that people attending your meeting have busy schedules. Be respectful and arrive 10-30 minutes early to your meeting so you can handle any last-minute technical issues that could delay the start time. Be aware of how much you can reasonably discuss in the timeframe allocated, and avoid the temptation to cram too many topics into one meeting. Stick to your agenda, and give people enough time to make comments, but avoid having someone monopolize the conversation. If your meeting must run longer than planned, give team members the option to drop out of the call if they have another priority to attend to, and provide a quick break to stand up and stretch, or get a cup of coffee, for those remaining on the call.

While these ideas may sound simplistic, many leaders are unaware of the positive impact this can have on their meetings.  Following these best practices will set you apart as a leader, build trust between you and your team members, and create an inclusive, collaborative environment for everyone involved. That’s a win-win for everyone!

Just Released: Lead Great Virtual Meetings: The Steps You Need to Succeed

Just Released: Lead Great Virtual Meetings: The Steps You Need to Succeed

Are You Ready To Lead Great Virtual Meetings?

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic plunged the world into relying on virtual communication as the primary means of connection. As business and personal communication shifted from face-to-face to being almost entirely virtual, millions faced the daunting task of learning how to use Zoom, Skype, and other online virtual meeting services. While there were plenty of tips, techniques, and best practices explaining how to use various delivery platforms, there was no clear-cut leadership model addressing how to effectively lead these meetings.

Bernice L. Ross, Ph.D. and Byron Van Arsdale have been leading virtual meetings since the 1990s. In 1998, they created The Six Principle Model for leading conference calls and teleclasses (training/education by phone). Today, their Six Principle Model provides you with the framework you need to lead effective virtual meetings, regardless of the delivery platform you use.

Lead Great Virtual Meetings unlocks the secrets of how you can:

• Easily engage participants
• Create powerful content
• Handle technology issues
• Have fun
• Implement the specific tips and strategies you need to attain stellar results

Most importantly, The Six Principle Model allows you to capitalize upon your unique
personal strengths to become the outstanding leader you were meant to be.

 

Public Speaking

Public Speaking

Public speaking is the number-one fear…even over death!

~Emily Deschanel

If the length of your virtual meeting is more than 5-10 minutes, divide your content into chunks of about 5-7 minutes. Create engagement right from the start of each segment with a quiz, poll, story, or funny video. This approach re-engages participants whose attention may have been diverted elsewhere. Changing your rate of speech, your tone of voice, or inflection can also re-engage their attention.

-Excerpt from Lead Great Virtual Meetings

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