After so much home office work and countless video conferences (due to the Corona crisis), many people long for in-person meetings and live events. Currently, more in-person events are planned again, but most companies still don’t want to do without on-screen communication for meetings, conferences and training sessions.
To ensure that video meetings and on-screen communication becomes more efficient, Dominika Paciorkowska, CEO and board member at ClickMeeting, has identified seven measures that specifically help to reduce video conference fatigue.
1) No digital meeting inflation.
According to Dominika Paciorkowska, the first step is to always consider whether a phone call or email (rather than a video conference) is sufficient for communication. Online meetings are a great relief in business, especially for remote teams, and many people have become accustomed to them. But there’s no need to use this solution all the time. For example, if it’s just a matter of checking in briefly with colleagues, picking up the phone or writing an email are faster and easier alternatives.
2) If video conferencing is to be used, it is best when only a few people participate.
If communication via online meeting is desired and agreed upon, it should be considered who should actually participate in the meeting. Just as large mailing lists are not useful for e-mail communication, getting as many colleagues as possible on board for online meetings is not productive. For productive meetings, less participants are often better than a larger group of participants.
3) Clear agenda, proper moderation.
During the meeting itself, good moderation can help reduce stress and keep the meeting as short as possible. To do this, the ClickMeeting expert says it’s important to have a clear agenda and stick to it during the meeting. Smalltalk can be useful for a good mood, but good moderation ensures that it doesn’t unnecessarily prolong the meeting.
4) Avoid multitasking.
In online meetings, it is tempting to get distracted by incoming emails or messages on your smartphone. The distraction causes a loss of focus, making it harder to follow the video conference. The meeting tends to be less productive as a result, and multitasking can increase stress levels. It is far better to focus completely on the situation for the duration of the online meeting and turn off external distractions whenever possible.
5) Check whether the webcam needs to be activated for the entire session.
On the one hand, eye contact is one of the biggest advantages of video conferencing and online meetings. On the other hand, from a psychological point of view, it can also cause stress. Seeing yourself on the screen all the time leads to a lot of "self-control moments." A study by Stanford University showed that this somewhat forced look in the mirror is more often perceived as stressful, especially by women, and can increase fatigue during video conferences. Overall, about 14% of women and 5.5% of men surveyed said they felt "very" or even "extremely" exhausted after video conferencing. Those who feel stressed by the webcam feed may suggest turning off the cameras during certain agenda items after the welcome phase. After all, when working on documents or during a presentation, it is often not necessary to keep the webcam active. Another option is to reduce the size of the video conference screen so that the faces appear less dominant.
6) "Screenless" breaks.
For longer sessions (more than 1 hour) and between different sessions, sufficient breaks should be scheduled. Ideally, participants should then use these breaks for physical exercise, fresh air, and some distraction, but not for further screen time. (I.e., people should not go back to staring at their smartphones or working on emails during breaks. This increases the fatigue effect).
7) Pre-event tech check.
If the internet connection drops during an online meeting or the headset does not work properly, the stress level increases. It therefore makes sense to ensure in advance that everything is working as well as possible (software, hardware, Internet connection, webcam, headset, etc.).
Finally, Dominika Paciorkowska emphasizes the importance of the appropriate video conferencing tool: "Every day, video conferencing and online meetings greatly facilitate collaboration and communication in countless companies, teams, organizations and government agencies worldwide. However, as with any technology, it all comes down to the right use and the right amount. When developing the ClickMeeting software, we deliberately make sure that all participants have as pleasant a time as possible using the platform. This includes, for example, extensive functions for engaging participants in a meeting. There’s also the special Edu mode for online training or presentations, where participants only see the person giving the presentation, while that person continues to see all participants."
Cover photo: Dominika Paciorkowska, CEO and board member of ClickMeeting. (Copyrights: ClickMeeting)
Related topics:
Online events, online meetings, remote meeting, video conferencing, online presentations, online training, meeting efficiency, online fatigue, efficient video conferencing, video conferencing tools, video conferencing platforms
(Please note: This article was translated from the German language. Please excuse any errors. The original text can be found at: eventmasterbook.de/magazin)
