Virtual meetings have a bad reputation. From video fatigue that plagued remote workers during the pandemic to technology problems that should already have been solved by 2023, it is easy to see why people prefer to meet in person. However, virtual meetings are still very useful when people are far away and online communication is the only sustainable way to do it. Let’s learn together how to make them better!
Have you ever considered how much time you spend in meetings each day? Attentiv reports that Americans hold approximately 11 million meetings per day, with an average length between 31 to 60 minutes. As the COVID-19 pandemic drove teams away from the office, employers had to adapt to remote meetings. And video calls and phone conferences replaced many in-person interactions.
The problem is that 33.4 percent of meetings are considered unproductive, according to the same report. Leading an effective meeting is a skill, and so is leading an effective remote meeting.
Very often, people think that a full calendar is a proxy for productivity. A daily planner packed with meetings seems to satisfy most managers. However, more often than not, supervisors and team leaders are more productive when they are not spending all day in meetings. Their time is actually better used when they are working with their team, bringing real measurable results.
Having a remote team comes with great advantages. For team members, it means flexibility, less time wasted commuting, less stress, lower costs and increased autonomy. For companies it means access to global workforce with a minimum waste of resources. Being a win-win option, as of 2019, 66% of companies allow their employees to work remotely, while 16% are totally remote.
Remote work is a dream come true for all the introverts of our generation. It brings countless benefits for both employees and employers: higher productivity, lower costs, no time lost in traffic, no need to socialize on every break and no annoying mandatory meetings. You set your own schedule and only interact with a bunch of people without even seeing their faces or hearing their voices. Can it get any better than that?
Team meetings have a pretty bad reputation. Most people either shiver or yawn only when hearing the word. The main reason is that uninspired leaders hold people hostage for hours, while delivering dull speeches or presentations that no one actually is interested to hear. But you can do better!
Working with remote teams is a challenge even for the most savvy team leader. Having people from around the world working together can be both a blessing and a challenge. On one hand, you have access to a global workforce, which allows you to enroll the most suitable candidates. But on the other hand, there are lots of obstacles to overcome. In this article we are going to discuss about virtual meetings, one of the hurdles of working remotely, and offer some advice to help you get past it.
