A year into the pandemic, and many of us are feeling that Zoom fatigue. Sitting for hours staring at a screen, being alert, seeing ourselves and being “on” are among the reasons people can burn out from one video meeting after another.
The way we work will forever change, between digital nomads, people realizing they can work from home successfully, teams dispersed across locations and more. The need for video meetings won’t go away.
So, how do you stay on track at work without burning out from Zoom (or insert your favorite video meeting platform here) fatigue? I lead a remote team who lead a lot of meetings. Below, find some of our best practices for video meetings.
Should it be a video meeting?
Sometimes a meeting really is the best option if there’s a lot of back and forth to move something forward, or it’s a working meeting. But does it need to be a video meeting? Consider a phone call to give your guests (and your) eyes and brain a break. Or, better yet, could it simply be an email, where you can get the information in writing when the other guest can write it?
Can the meeting be shorter?
Does the meeting really have to be 60 minutes? Even 30? Maybe you can get three back-to-back meetings into an hour, or schedule that 30-minute meeting into 15 and work the other 15. The key is to let guests know expectations of the meeting, have everyone come prepared and hold to that time.
Schedule a group video meeting easily
Don’t let a 30-minute meeting take 30 minutes for you to schedule. There will be times you need to ask people what time(s) works for them and can’t see their availability. In those instances, a no-cost third-party app or site (like Doodle or Calendly) works well to schedule and see availability.
Once you know what times work well for your guests, you can then schedule your meeting.
Inform guests in the meeting invite
To cut down on video meeting fatigue, meetings running long, or unproductive meetings, make the invite work for you ahead of the meeting. This can be done by adding to the meeting invite:
- Meeting goal(s) stated clearly and succinctly so everyone understands what should be accomplished by the end of the meeting
- Agenda to keep the video meeting on track and moving to the goal
- Supporting documents, including previous emails, notes or information you anticipate to reference on the call
Be video meeting-ready
If you have a lot of video meetings, there are a few simple things you can do to be presentable enough to be on camera. Everyone has a different definition of what that means, and that’s fine. But if the people you regularly work with are typically on camera, it’s courteous to be prepared.
While camera quality can vary a lot, some things you can do to look the best include:
- Having lipstick close by, for those who wear it. You will instantly look less washed out.
- Invest in a selfie light. They are the ring lights you can clip around your camera for flattering light.
- Keep a presentable top or cover up nearby. I don’t know you have a 20-year-old shirt under your cover up or are wearing sweatpants on the bottom. But if I didn’t, your secret is safe with me.
- Spruce up your background. Clean up the clutter behind you, maybe set our a plant, artwork or a few nice photos.
Set boundries
Think about the best time of day for you (work-wise and mentally) are best for meetings, and ask people to reschedule or shorten their meetings if it doesn’t fit your schedule. Don’t be afraid to ask the purpose or goal of the meeting, so you can come prepared or evaluate if you should even attend.
We are all going through and being asked to do a lot, let’s all be courteous to one another as we rely on video meetings until more in-person events occur.
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