While the medium of meetings has shifted for many of us, our need to come together in groups to collaborate, discuss project progress, and tackle work challenges is unchanged and ever present. In fact, the number of meetings per day has increased since many workplaces went completely remote in 2020.
What exactly makes virtual meetings so draining, and what can leaders do to improve their meetings?
The vast majority of those surveyed reported feeling fatigued and drained during and after their virtual meetings – more so than with in-person meetings
- Meeting schedules and structures emerged as major themes, but survey respondents varied widely in their preferences regarding both
- Different people had different virtual meeting preferences, so some people’s preferences contradicted those of their colleagues
- For more effective and less fatiguing meetings, one of the most important things a leader can do is ask for feedback from meeting attendees
Use breakout rooms for problem-solving, discussions, and social interactions
Hold asynchronous meetings, such as by creating a shared Google Doc for employees to contribute to throughout the day
- Build in breaks during long meetings and in between back-to-back meetings
- Implement meeting-free time blocks or days
Turn off “self view,” if possible, on your meeting platform and make camera use optional for some meetings.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to reducing virtual meeting fatigue or to eliminating “bad” meetings. Be willing to adapt and grow. Experiment with different meeting strategies or platforms.
