A hot topic over the past few months has been how to keep remote teams feeling connected, without a deluge of inefficient meetings.
As an understandable consequence of the work-from-home orders from early 2020, many organizations and teams have developed an over-reliance on video in meetings. Regardless as to the nature of the meeting, videos can often become the default. And now people are burnt out.
It may come as a shock to hear us suggest that perhaps not all meetings need to be on video…
But it’s true.
Just as in the pre-pandemic times, an in-person meeting could have been a phone call, or even an email, in our new remote/hybrid reality, we need to be even more intentional about the way we organize our internal and external interactions.
Consider the below as you continue to evolve your communication strategies.
Adopt an Intentional Meeting Guide for your Company
One of the biggest issues to surface with remote meetings is the uncertainty around whether people should be on video, or not…and if so, for how long.
Assumptions are being made based on who is on video instead of there being a clear expectation communicated beforehand. A structure I have seen work well with clients:
Company wide updates: Video on for the welcome and any breakouts. Videos required for presenters, optional for audience.
Small team meetings: Video on
Working 1:1s – phone calls or audio-only screen shares.
Client meetings: VIDEO ALWAYS ON.
By communicating these expectations clearly before the meeting, you provide your team members with the highest level of preparedness. You also open the door for feedback/questions or concerns.
If there is no clarity, there can be no alignment. This results in a huge loss of time, impact and energy.
Think Quality Over Quantity
As a general rule – quality over quantity is key when it comes to video meetings. You can ensure quality by ensuring everyone:
Is on the same page with expectations (as noted above)
Is equipped with tech that supports video (strong internet, good lighting and office tools, check out our hacks here)
Feels confident in their communication skills (Hello Virtual Sapiens Sidekick!)
Particularly for new hires, it is essential to set your people up for success.
As we have all come to experience, there are some video meetings or presentations that are surprisingly good. They leave us feeling more connected than before, more knowledgeable, we’ve managed to innovate, collaborate and be inspired.
These benefits are all possible over video. But they are unlikely if there is no intention in the way video meetings are organized and structured across an organization.
At Virtual Sapiens, we strongly believe in the power of video communication. We believe there is a strong human element in seeing your colleagues, meeting and partnering with clients and customers. We also believe that developing these skills takes time and effort. And we are here to help!
Be sure to sign up for early access to our Sidekick solution – a personal communication coach to help you excel as a communicator in our new world of work.