Online Meeting Fatigue is Real … But it’s Time to Suck it Up
There is no question that online meeting and virtual event fatigue is real. Since March 2020, we’ve been, for the most part, confined to our homes doing our best to conduct business from whatever quiet nook or cranny we could find to setup our computer. Being, quite literally, grounded across the globe, caused the worldwide cancellation of essentially all face-to-face meetings and events for months … and months – for the first time in history (at least in this century).
What a time to be alive!
We’ve been groomed over the years to replace snail mail, faxing, and phone calls with email, social media, and Slack, but nobody could prepare us for the complete and total lack of in-person interactions. Pre-2020, video conferencing, though a slowly growing trend, had never quite caught on as the ‘norm’ because it just doesn’t give us the same ‘feels’ as in-person meetings. Welp, that all went out the window this spring when it became the singular most important way to connect with our colleagues, customers, and even family and friends.
And video conference we did…
With the switch to online as our primary source of communication, in came the TIDAL WAVE OF ALL THINGS VIRTUAL! Video meeting invites flooded our inboxes, along with invites to webinars, virtual events, and even happy hours. Desperate to replicate that special face-to-face bond we all rely on to network, build, and maintain relationships with clients, partners, (and in our case) press, we started accepting all of those invites…and then a month, (or probably even less than that!), came the virtual burnout.
But the thing is, online meetings are here to stay, and I’m sorry but someone has to say it…It’s time to suck it up, buttercup!
I know, I hear you, it’s hard, and time demanding, and most of all it’s exhausting! But friends, we’ve got to stop complaining and learn how to adjust, because video conferencing ain’t going anywhere in a hurry. Caster’s resident SVP, Alex Crabb, recently published a blog post on “Maximizing Interaction on Your Next Virtual Conference” with some awesome advice on how to run a great virtual event.
But what about maximizing the effectiveness of our day-to-day online meetings?
Today’s workspace has drastically changed the way we communicate, and we all need to be prepared by enhancing our communications practices in a video presence era. And though we could ALL use some expert advice on ways to reduce fatigue and get the most out of our online meetings, there have been very few educational resources on this topic…until this week.
Enter the Presence Summit! The first of its kind event kicks off tomorrow (July 15) and was designed to take your video communications to the next level. The organizers, HuddleCamHD and Starin, a Midwich Group company, worked hard to create a full day of education, engagement, and entertainment for professionals looking to step up their online communication game.
Mike Fisher from Zoom will present on “Priming Your Meetings for Success,” along with over a dozen other well-known business authors and industry leaders providing direct insights on the new opportunities that online meetings can provide business professionals and their teams. Themes include how to strengthen online collaboration, team building, getting comfortable with online presentations, as well as how to recognize non-verbal cues and subtle communication.
Anyone is welcome to follow the free, all-day livestreamed event on July 15 starting at 9:00 a.m. via the Presence Summit website or on YouTube. Or register for the professional development track for special access to the speakers’ Zoom breakout rooms following each live streamed session.
Found your groove making the switch to online communication? I’d love to know how you’ve succeeded. Send me a tweet @erinmktgpr.
