The abrupt switch to online meetings jolted many of us out of our meeting routines. We first had to acclimate to new technology. But, the switch has required more than just figuring out how to unmute yourself.
If you have participated in an online meeting, you know it’s not just an in-person meeting on the computer. Inter-personal cues are missing. The pace and flow of conversation is different. People may or may not be wearing pants (hey, we don’t judge). Online meetings require us to revisit the assumptions we have about what makes a meeting successful.
Online meetings may feel more challenging, but that’s just because they are new to a lot of us. If you can remember that far back, in-person meetings were no walk in the park. They are probably one of the most maligned parts of work culture. There’s too many of them, they are unfocused, the same people dominate, etc. etc. For the most part, we just put up with them because it’s hard to change work culture. But work culture is sure changing now! Let’s not make the same mistakes with online meetings! Sarah and I believe that now is the time to purposefully relearn how to meet together – to build new norms and practice new habits. Taking time to improve our meetings now will benefit us far beyond COVID-19.
With this in mind, Sarah and I are writing a series of articles about online meetings. We hope that they offer practical and inspiring advice that help you make the most of your time working together. Take a look at our first two articles: Working Together: Four Values for Collaboration and Planning for Online Facilitation.
