As we all know by now, Zoom fatigue is real. Every person I know who is conducting their work over a video platform day and day out testifies to the strange exhaustion it leaves in its wake. As best as I can tell from the research that’s out there now, moving our lives to video is tiring for … Read more
Virtual Meetings
Have you noticed that we’ve started waving to end video calls? As someone said to me yesterday, “I’d never wave when I left an in-person meeting; what is that about?” My guess is that it’s closely related to this post from last week, about rituals. When you’re meeting in person and the meeting ends, … Read more
I participated in an online cooking class last week. A chef was leading about 50 of us through cooking a meal (fish tacos and margaritas) that had many steps and a lot of chopping. I think the whole class was about 90 minutes. The chef is a woman who usually teaches in a big kitchen, … Read more
A couple of weeks ago I advised you that when you’re speaking to a video call, you need to look right into the camera to approximate eye contact. This is still true, and you can see people doing this really well on calls. The result is that you feel more connected, more seen. The other … Read more
We are always seeking security, assessing where we are safe, when it is all right to trust another person. Most of our communication habits and needs grow out of this search. Before we can get down to business, we have to know: Can I trust this person? Will she have my back? Is he as … Read more
There is no eye contact in video conferences. This is a major way that we establish trust and build relationships, so the lack of eye contact is a pretty big deal. So here’s a tip: Look in the camera. Well, first, make sure you know where your camera is! Then, when you’re presenting or when … Read more
Are you finding your energy waning as the day goes on? Need to inject some pep into your fifth Zoom call of the day? Ignite coach Neela Muñoz has a great tip!
When you go to a play or watch a TV show, the environment you’re seeing on stage or screen has been carefully selected. The music playing as you take your seat, the books on a bookshelf, the wallpaper, the collar of a shirt—it’s all in service of the story you’re being told. When you … Read more
I learned something very cool this week from Nick Morgan, a public speaking coach and the author of “Can You Hear Me?: How to Connect with People in a Virtual World.” (This book has never been more timely—I highly recommend it!) When someone is looking at you on a video call, their brain is … Read more
Wow, people are really ready to announce the new era of “We will all now work from home and attend school online, which is what we should have been doing anyway!” I’ve seen a number of articles, particularly on LinkedIn, promoting the idea that coming together to work and learn in the same place is … Read more
