Improving your video meetings and connections
Video meetings are how most of us have been gathering recently. Sometimes we are on several videos a day, enough to appreciate the term “Zoom fatigue” – our eyes and our brains need a rest. With this in mind, here are some suggestions to help lessen the issues.
The first, of course, is to get a good video signal with little to no delay in speech. With a slow signal, people talk over each other, take long pauses or wait in line for a chance to speak. This makes the conversation stilted and hard to follow. Some users may need to use a booster for their signal to avert this problem.
Our eyes can be uncomfortable if there is light shining directly at the screen causing a strain. This takes an easy adjustment to shift the position of the screen. Often people sit too close to their monitor so that they seem to be staring at everyone else. Sitting back a bit so that the top half of the body is showing and not just the face makes a more natural look for those on the call. At times it can be hard to hear a person speaking, so everyone should remember to clearly enunciate to be understood.
Zoom is a good platform for a group meeting, but Slack may be easier for calls between two people. When someone logs in, a green dot will show by their name, signaling they are online. Another party can then come in for a quick chat to share an idea or ask a question. It allows a more casual interchange to keep information going.
A newer app by Pragli uses cartoon like avatars for each person. The avatars can be customized to look like the person-big glasses, a mustache, or big smile for instance. It reduces staring faces and appears more like social media. This can be used for communication with colleagues who don’t have to worry what they’re wearing or what setting they are in. Oculus headsets by Facebook can create replicas of offices or you can use your green screen in Zoom to project a beach, ski mountain, etc.
It is necessary to connect frequently to stave off isolation, share ideas, build cooperation and trust online. It is also a good idea for groups or teams to have staggered in-office hours to see each other to build bonds, trust and relieve isolation.
As we all work more often with video meetings, it helps to think of creative ways to keep it interesting and make sure everyone is still working together for a coordinated effort to produce the best service to our clients.