Virtual meetings are here to stay. We just need to get over it, and get better at it.
Despite the widespread uptake of the COVID-19 vaccination in most developed nations, it’s probably still too early to argue that the worst of the pandemic is behind us. Here in the UK, the virus is still a contributory factor in the deaths of around 700 people a week, and the trend line is moving in the wrong direction.
At the height of the pandemic, perhaps four billion people worldwide were under government orders to lock down and stay at home to stop the virus from spreading - around half of the global population. This forced an abrupt transition to a distributed workforce. Suddenly, many of us were forced to set up a ‘home office’, with varying degrees of success - often dependent on personal circumstances. And it wasn’t just work. Family conversations, online drinks with friends, virtual birthday celebrations, quizzes and streaming concerts have become the norm for many of us.
The parting shot: “I’ll Zoom you…” no longer prompts raised eyebrows. (That’s our preferred platform, but others are available.)
At Cogent Content, we’ve embraced the change with some enthusiasm; but we’ve noticed differing attitudes amongst our clients. Until now, our work has been evenly divided between two distinct market segments: STEM clients and policymakers. Scientists, engineers, and medics have quickly warmed to the virtual meeting room. Meanwhile, many of our political contacts miss the traditional debating table and show marked withdrawal symptoms.
A recent poll of around 1,000 scientists by the journal, Nature, suggests that three-quarters of those responding think that all conferences and meetings should be virtual or include a virtual component from now on. The reasons given are straightforward. Half of those polled saw online interactions as more accessible. One in five appreciated the cost savings and the dramatic carbon footprint reduction prompted by online meetings. On the downside, seven out of ten respondents saw the loss of meaningful networking opportunities as a considerable drawback. This aspect of the new virtual world needs to be thought through, but we agree that it’s here to stay.
We’ve trained ourselves to be at ease in the Zoom room. We’ve experimented with different approaches to virtual meeting facilitation. We’ve honed our active listening skills, and we’re trying out new forms of deliberative engagement to improve the quality of online decision making. In August, we started working with a new client. The project’s research phase required thirty conversations with opinion leaders and influencers in the pharmaceuticals sector. Although we had not previously met any of the participants, an excellent rapport developed, and we’d go so far as to say that some of them were more at ease in the virtual interview room than we’d expected. We must be doing something right.
Others may not share our experience, but this is to be expected. The emergency measures implemented by businesses eighteen months ago were often driven not by what worked best, but simply by what worked. Bad habits and frustration have accumulated in these constrained times. It doesn’t have to be like this, and given that we think virtual meetings are here to stay, it’s time for us all to raise our game.
Like many things in business and life in general, much of best practice is common sense. That said, it isn’t always common practice. In her new book: Suddenly Virtual: Making Remote Meetings Work, the US journalist, Karin Reed, offers practical, straightforward advice on how to lead and take part in virtual meetings. Amongst the many valuable tips set out in the book, Karin and her co-author Joseph Allen emphasise the need for shorter, purpose-driven meetings, a greater emphasis on personal production values, and the importance of listening and maintaining virtual eye contact, along with sound advice on getting the best out of your hardware and software. Cogent Content agrees, and we invested in the technology needed to support this approach right at the start of the pandemic.
COVID-19 has generated many new buzzwords and phrases; recently, we’ve noticed a new one. People are talking about ‘hybrid working’ where individuals and groups combine virtual and physical interaction. This is a useful idea, but one that has its drawbacks. For example, individual contributors will always be disadvantaged because ‘side conversations’ by those gathered in physical groups exclude remote participants.
Exclusion does not make for effective ideation. This isn’t good for business, according to Dr David Rock from the Neuroleadership Institute. Writing in Forbes, David stresses that we can’t solve the problems of hybrid working with a single approach, but there is a concept that helps us get close. Engagement, productivity, and inclusion are best addressed through applying an approach he describes as “One virtual, all virtual.” Using this approach, the meeting is specifically designed with the virtual participant in mind, and clustered groups in the same location are not permitted. Everyone joins virtually from a different room, thereby creating a truly level playing field for all participants.
David acknowledges that this thinking is controversial. He introduces the concept with a warning and a promise. “Here’s an idea you will absolutely hate at first. But you will come to love it and understand why it works.”
Whatever the future of virtual meetings, we’re all going to have to get better at it – including politicians!
So remember, whilst meeting across a virtual platform has its challenges, it can also unlock new opportunities. It’s immediate; it’s personal. These two factors combined are very powerful. There are many valuable takeaways in Karin’s book, but here’s one that we think is the absolute clincher:
Speaking on camera is more like having a 1:1 conversation rather than presenting to an audience. Regardless of the number of people in the Zoom room, if you approach the meeting as an audience of one, everyone will feel like you are talking just to them - provided you:
Visualise the viewer in your head
Frame yourself wisely
Look into the camera
Stay in ‘the moment’
Use vocal variety and avoid distracting gestures
Cogent Content offers various online training sessions to help companies and individuals get the best out of virtual meetings. These include “I’m sorry I think you’re on mute – welcome to the new world of work” and “Creating and delivering persuasive online presentations”.
For more information, please get in touch, and we’ll Zoom you.