Virtual Work: Three Ways to Energize Your People
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What makes video meetings exhausting?
I researched this question during COVID-19, and 350 virtual workers across 19 sociodemographics poured out their hearts in response. They also told me what makes things better.
The surprise:
I went into the research thinking, “We’re exhausted because we’re faking it! We’re burning out our eyes from staring at the light and camera instead of each other. Dissonance from make-up on the top, yoga pants with flip flops on the bottom. Forced smiles, striving to show our best but disturbed by how tired or disheveled we look.”
Yes, but.
After months of statistical analyses, the biggest issue became clear: it’s uselessness that’s wearing people out. Useless video meetings and people feeling useless in them.
3 Ways to Get Energy and Fix Uselessness
#1. Camera use? Let them decide.
You want to see their faces to know they’re tracking with you, right?
Here’s the rub: If you require all cameras on, they get cognitive overload. They can’t process, much less remember what you say.
#2. Give space for small talk.
Chit-chat in video meetings might sound like a waste of time to you.
But virtual workers need to talk about last night’s game, their kids, their weekends. If you squelch that, they will disengage from you and your organization because their relationships will fray.
#3. Manage their daily ration.
You think a weekly 30-minute team meeting gets things done efficiently.
But if you have a team of ten, your 30-minute meeting consumes almost a full day of team productivity. And my research shows emotional exhaustion sets in at seven hours of video meetings in a week. So, before you pile on, think about how many video meetings are already on their calendars and whether you prefer they be productive.
What else can you do? Take the free Making Virtual Work survey and find out!
What makes video meeting exhausting to you?
Dr. Betty Johnson is President of Bridging the Difference® LLC. Her new book, Making Virtual Work: How to Build Performance and Relationships, gives a research-based remedy for leading people in the new normal of virtual and hybrid work. Click to learn more about Betty!
This is awesome. The worst video meetings are when some people are virtual and others are in a room together. Being virtual in that mixed arena makes me feel even more disconnected and it’s harder to participate. The other thing is how many meetings I expected to attend virtually that have very little to do with me and my actual work. And then there are the 4 hour long virtual meetings. Thanks for sharing this research. I think remote work is here to stay but there has to be a better way!
Good points. Virtual meetings should be opportunities for exchange of ideas not a punitive lecture. Look forward to reading the book. Right now, between work and community service, we’re zooming most of the day.
Yes! Uselessness wears people out in person too!
I manage a large team, great to hear that it’s ok not to put your camera on and that “30-minute meeting consumes almost a full day of team productivity.“ Would really enjoy reading this book from Dr. Betty Johnson
Leadership Freak motivates me to motivate my staff and they are the heart of our group practice. We have doubled in size because of the pandemic and are challenged with trying to integrate a new model of hybrid office practices. I look forward to seeing these emails on a daily basis to keep me moving towards team cohesion.
I 100% agree on uselessness. I find my calendar overloaded with meeting each week and while some meetings have value, a large chunk do not. Thanks for this!
I prefer on camera the first few minutes then making it optional when the meeting begins. And while it has created some morale issues, the video conference call has created efficiency.
Thought provoking to consider lost productivity on the whole for a meeting.
When I noticed the team energy flagging after about 8 months of working remotely through covid, I changed our format for some conversation/connection point first – it was very uncomfortable for my team but it did help put some energy back into the rest of our meetings and allow people a stronger connection. Meetings can get to be too many and too often especially if there’s not a sense of moving forward they can feel useless. I like the research share!
Thank you for sharing your findings.
To me, whether in person or virtual, being intentional about our time together during a meeting critical to the team’s engagement.
Structuring the meeting for both creating time for connection between members AND focusing our attention on what needs to be accomplished during the meeting (and being transparent about it) helps the meeting be productive.
While virtual meetings have been shown to be tiring because of the performative aspect (of seeing ourselves on camera so much) and the lack of connection with others, I have also wondered if the move into more virtual meetings (when they used to be face to face) has simply made more seeable the draining aspects of meetings when they are not planned and facilitated well. Even 10 minute meetings.
One advantage of the current pandemic that I have found is the ability to utilize video/virtual meetings for short 5-10 minute check ins with my team at the end of a day or at the start of the day. We can real quickly log on… have the brief discussion…. and log back out. I’m the principal of a 7-12 school and what I’ve found is that it is difficult to find a meeting time and physical location that works for everyone, and that this problem is eliminated by hosting quick virtual meetings when I only have a point or two of information to share about a student or an issue.
Zoom meetings have grown in popularity since the pandemic and there are good and bad things with this growth. I think however, they will be a permanent part of our futures as we move forward. Checking in with staff is vitally important when we can no longer gather and work together. Welcome to the future.
I appreciate your sharing your findings. Whether we meet face to face or virtually, being intentional is the key to me. Structuring our meetings for connection and productivity engages our team more effectively than when we are not intentional.
Zoom meetings have grown in popularity since the pandemic and there are good and bad things with this growth. I think however, they will be a permanent part of our futures as we move forward. Checking in with staff is vitally important when we can no longer gather and work together. Welcome to the future.
Video meetings are exhausting when I’m virtual and the rest of the team isn’t and aren’t prepared for the purpose of the meeting. That happens whether it’s in person or virtual, but when I can’t share screen in a way that everyone can see, or they can’t – it makes it tough to feel productive. But we have some great ‘check in’ meetings where we go around and say what we accomplished, what our priority is and what we are stuck on – just quick and mid-week to know if we can help each other or need something – anything longer than that is scheduled for later.
The math related to how one 30 minute meeting for ten equals a full day of productivity is powerful.
I teach in a graduate school and have done 3 days of intensive class via Zoom and I’m exhausted! I like the principles listed above and recognize the challenge of engaging adults in education via a Zoom call. I’ve required cameras to be on but have changed my mind recently. Secondly, I also work with a small NGO spread over the globe and Zoom is the primary way we communicate. I wonder if an individual phone call might be more effective than a team of 10 on a Zoom call. Looking forward to reading the book!
I find most team members prefer to have their cameras off. Some people even prefer to type in the chat versus physically chatting. When we play virtual games once a week, most team members participate, however there are those few that don’t. It would be great to be able to motivate everyone to engage in conversation. Limiting the number of meetings and total time is an excelling idea.
Thank you!!!! One of the first people I see to recommend let people decide if they want camera or not. I find it does help with developing relations to turn camera on but need to consider all the facts and some people just don’t want to!
These are helpful perspectives! I think in many, many cases (virtual and in-person alike) our meetings have become habitual and we don’t stop to ask what the goal of this meeting is, nor whether it could be accomplished another way. I am in a situation where I work mostly in an office, but still often have virtual meetings because of the needs of others with whom we collaborate. I’m noticing that meetings are often scheduled back to back with no break, because there is no longer any travel time required, and that is significantly contributing to our exhaustion. We’ll be talking about adding buffer periods in between meetings and setting aside 1-2 hours a day with no meetings at all so we can complete the action items that come out of the numerous virtual meetings.
Very refreshing advice! People need time to work and think. Hours and hours of video calls does not allow for that. We all need to think about time management differently in this new environment, and it will be different for each individual.
Would I rather them be productive or spend 30 minutes meeting? Very thought provoking!
I’d guess the trouble we have with “uselessness” is that we aren’t really paid to do it.
I posit we would be fine with uselessness if all we had to do to get paid was “check in”. we’d be doing our time and although bored, we’d cash our checks. (We may want to leave to get a job that is more meaningful).
When we all have goals that are not adjusted to the other expected activities we have in each month, we don’t like wasting time. For example my projects don’t stop for me to take a week’s vacation. I return from vacation and have to “catch up” to where I should be, or on the proactive side, I’ve worked extra the week before to get what I need done to not be behind when I return.
Then you add in the meetings. If they are useless, our emotions fire up and ask us “Don’t you have something better to do?” Then through our “useless” story we can generate negative feelings, which then in turn affect our actions.
I love the line “But if you have a team of ten, your 30-minute meeting consumes almost a full day of team productivity.”
I have tried to show this to a few of my managers about larger meetings.
200 people for an hour, at an average of $35/hr per person= $7000 of wages.
Is the message you want to deliver worth $7000?
Nothing changes.
I chalk it up to once companies get to a “size” we just throw that thinking out the window.
I have not bothered to find out what that size is where we bring in the “red tape” and accept meetings as not needing to be worth the wages we pay for people to attend them.
On the other side of that, some messages are best delivered in person.
I would guess those messages, if that important, should not be “useless”.
I am a teacher also and can see the challenge on the faces of those involved in virtual meetings. As a music teacher I have a sense of pacing and entertainment. Virtual meetings need to be planned like a video production. You need to consider backgrounds, colors, breaks, engagement, identifying with a character and so much more. Timing is everything.
Meeting on video seems to make conversation ‘intentional’ that used to be ‘unintentional’. Intentional meetings require (maybe because I’ve been kicking around for so long) at least some mental preparation which makes the time investment longer. Or I don’t start something because I have a video meeting in 20 minutes. I
Some people are just not comfortable with the idea of being ‘seen’ and this people must be allowed to make their contribution without the discomfiting thought of being coerced/watched. On the other hand ,HR thinks its one sure way of ensuring that everyone is ok and chemistry is being maintained.
Great topic and perfect timing. Video makes us work harder to process non-verbal cues like facial expressions, the tone and pitch of the voice, and body language; paying more attention to these consumes a lot of energy. I like building transition periods in between video meetings, Its, also helpful to refresh, stretch, have a drink, or do a bit of exercise. Experts say. Boundaries and transitions are important; we need to create buffers that allow us to put one identity aside and then go to another as we move between work and private personas.
What makes video meeting exhausting to you? They always seem like they are forced and a show for someone who is not attuned to what is going on. But then again I feel most meeting in any form are this way.
My calendar is full of meetings every day. I have encouraged my team to schedule 30-minute meetings with prepared agendas and come ready to participate. I do not require cameras to be on because bandwidth can be an issue with home networks. If you don’t have a purpose or action item in the meeting, you can be caught up with the meeting notes sent afterwards. I look forward to reading more tips and advice from Betty Johnson, PhD. The survey was interesting and had some excellent thought-provoking considerations.
As a former receptionist, now executive assistant, who went from all in-person contact with co-workers to fully remote and now back to a hybrid model, I’m exhausted just trying to maintain some type of relationship with my colleagues. We’ve been intentional about having a few minutes of small talk at the beginning of our meetings and keeping them as short as possible. But I’m always looking for more ways to make virtual work because it is here to stay—at least in our company.
Great post and timely now as many offices are navigating the virtual, hybrid, and in-person workplace. Video meetings are nice in that we do get to connect and see each other, however, I agree that blanket mandates for cameras on isn’t helpful. The most exhausting thing about video meetings and/or meetings in general still remains the “why” behind the meeting. I love the memes related to how this meeting could have been an email, but it’s so true. Meeting just for the sake of meeting isn’t effective, especially when schedules are so flexible now-a-days and people may be prioritizing your meeting to only find out it was 5 minutes of useful content or discussion and 25 minutes of wasted time. Cutting back on meetings in general helps your staff understand the value of a meeting. Prioritize those that matter.
All great tips. Can’t wait to read more in the book.
Gosh, I’d love to read more on this timely topic.
Facilitating virtual meetings is so fatiguing and so much more work as I expend so much more energy to process non-verbal cues like facial expressions, the tone and pitch of the voice, and body language and wondering about those that chose not to use camera. Exhausting!
I have several staff working virtual and we do our best to stay engaged. I have a very cohesive team which makes things so much better. I would love to continue to learn and see the research on this topic. Virtual is not going away for sure so let’s make the best of it.
As a young professional aspiring to formal leadership, I would greatly appreciate further development on this topic!
Great topic! After participating in untold numbers of ZOOM meetings, trainings and conferences, I recently attended an event that connected me and held my attention far above others I attended virtually.
They did a few different things that I believe helped, including:
facilitating the session from the beginning in a way in which it was interactive, training people to utilize the chat with intentional related ice breakers and throughout event to keep particpants meaningfully enaged.
They also held two scheduled three minute music breaks with count down timer on screen during which they encouraged all participants to get up and move/ dance etc… When reconvening, at end of 3 min, they instructed people in advance to indicate in chat they were back in seat ready to goi when music ended.
Video meetings are useless when all that is shared follows in a memo_ word-for-word_ when a memo could have been emailed to everyone. I also find them useless when a meeting is called and nothing is done to engage_ we’re just listening; it’s just sit and get. Sometimes brief meetings may be necessary to share pertinent information, but those should be shared as such and be minimal. With so many tools available to engage participants, virtual meetings can be productive and engaging, giving everyone voice.
We know that meetings should be kept brief and to the point. How much more so with virtual meetings. I appreciate the good insights. Timely and very helpful, not just in the business community but in other meetings I am part of as well. Thanks!
Great info! Validated that useless feeling!
I love the idea of creating space for connecting on a human level during virtual meetings. One of my favorite NPR shows is with Sam Sanders and he asks people to leave him a message about the best thing that happened to them the previous week. Then he plays a compilation at the end of the show. It is beautiful and touching and makes you happy to be a human. You don’t know the people, but you feel connected, and people thank Sam as if they know him. I think I’m going to start my next virtual meeting asking people to put in the chat what was the best thing that happened to them that week. Thank you for this insight.
Any meeting can always use help but virtual and video yes please,
Good information in this post today. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for sharing, looking forward to reading more from the book.
I recently changed jobs and have joined a team that has been working remotely, including my boss, while I have to work in the office (while I am “on probation”). I find that in the longer virtual meetings, I feel very disconnected and am reserved to speak or share ideas simply because I don’t know how I mesh with the others. I feel I get much more accomplished in the smaller/shorter 5-15 minute sessions where I can ask questions of one or a few people at a time. There is more connection happening in these short segments where I am not concerned that I have a smile plastered on my face the whole time and look completely engaged because I know everyone is looking at the new person.
I will take an audio chat over a video call. Based on human behaviours and my own known tendencies. I normally close my eyes and focus on what the person is saying or make notes for the call. Having a video on, would show me sitting there with my eyes closed looking asleep but I’m concentrating on the details so I don’t forget.
After working for a large company, I moved to a much smaller one just a few months ago. I went from endless meetings that were EXHAUSTING to a meeting or two a day, but feeling energized all day long! The large company was an excellent company to work for, but the culture of meetings is a real challenge.
Great topic! Useless meetings are a drain, whether they’re in-person of virtual, but virtual meetings add their set of complexities. Combining your recommendations for virtual meetings with the “Canoe” method sounds like a winning combination. For a pocket guide to the canoe method, see: https://www.bkconnection.com/static/Pocket-Guide-to-Lets-Stop-Meeting-Like-This.pdf
I find it exhausting when virtual meetings are used for information delivery, instead of engaging conversation on the given topic. It’s much more energizing to get the report prior to the meeting and then to brainstorm and problem-solve together in the virtual meeting. It’s actually invigorating!
This is a great topic now with all of the remote activity brought on by the pandemic. About a year and a half ago, I worked at a different institution from where I am now, and my department merged with another. My team was mortified to learn that our new supervisor required so many meetings, including multiple recurring daily and weekly meetings. Cameras were mandatory at all times, which made some team members very uncomfortable. So much was spent in meetings that it was hard to get any actual work done! It really damaged morale during an already difficult transition.
Our organization has changed the way we schedule meetings – whereas a weekly meeting is every friday except the last friday of the month to give staff time back in their day. We have really been more mindful to what can be discussed via email or chat vs adding another meeting, and/or cancelling a video meeting when there is not much of an agenda.
One of the biggest culprits in meetings is the chant, “You’re on mute.” to the participants. Think of the usless time wasted as people must repeat whatever they had tried to communicate while they were on mute in addition to other participants getting distracted as they have to wait for the person to unmute their mike. You’ll never see that in an in-person meeting.
I think they have their place but the mandate of all video all the time can be exhausting our folks unnecessarily. I try to meet the team where they are, on a daily basis. I’m interested in hearing more about what the author has to say.
I like the use of video for the meeting opening – like a virtual meet and greet, then off for the balance to be able to concentrate on the content being shared. I also host a weekly “Watercooler” meeting where work topics are off limits and we share something we’ve learned or an area of growth we are working on (hobbies, pets, and family are often included). Useless meetings have always been an issue, whether virtual or in-person.
To camera or not to camera.. that is the question. I have found after years of working remotely (even pre-pandemic) that the temptation to “multi-task” is way higher when the camera is off. The brain acrobatics needed to keep up with multiple things at one time (inevitably missing something or making mistakes as a result) seems way more exhausting than simply staying focused for 30 minutes. My team prefers that we take a meeting that used to be 60 minutes and shorten it to 30, but they all voted to require cameras so everyone feels like they didn’t waste their breath talking to people who are scrolling through their social media feeds. As leaders, it’s our role to make sure the right people are invited and the meeting is productive, regardless of whether or not it’s virtual. Our team’s motto: No agenda, No attenda and show up on camera.
I have been feeling this and appreciate the information! I definitely get over loaded with all the video calls…this book sounds awesome!
I have changed the format of some of my meetings to take some of the formality out of them. Video entirely optional, and encourage the attendees to “take the meeting out of the office” … where we walk and talk instead of sitting behind a desk all day. It’s turned these meetings into something I look forward to instead of something I dread.
I love everyone’s comments and am looking forward to reading your book.
Wow some eye openers in here, remote work (and managing in that environment) is definitely something I want to learn more about. Thanks for the post
Looking forward to reading this book and applying to schools.
What I find the most exhausting is how many more things need to be scheduled. What would have gotten worked through in a quick hallway conversation or a walk around the forest adjacent to our campus turns into a string of scheduled 1:1 conversations that fill up calendars. I manage a team of ten that involves several sub-groups. Some team members rarely cross-paths other than at our bi-monthly team huddled. I struggle with the need to give them the autonomy to manage their own time and prioritize work that’s on a deadline over the meeting and the importance of connecting.