{"id":332268,"date":"2020-05-22T15:05:15","date_gmt":"2020-05-22T14:05:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/?p=332268"},"modified":"2020-06-08T09:34:30","modified_gmt":"2020-06-08T08:34:30","slug":"fa2-virtual-meetings-a-waste-of-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en-ie\/work-productivity-en-ie\/na\/fa2-virtual-meetings-a-waste-of-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual meetings – a waste of time?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Virtual meetings – a waste of time?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Lately, we\u2019ve all had to adjust to<\/span>\u00a0working from home<\/span>. But arriving\u00a0<\/span>as it did\u00a0<\/span>so suddenly,\u00a0<\/span>has raised\u00a0<\/span>more than a few questions<\/span>\u00a0we\u00a0<\/span>haven\u2019t\u00a0<\/span>had\u00a0<\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0consider befor<\/span>e:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How can I set\u00a0<\/span>appropriate\u00a0<\/span>boundaries between\u00a0<\/span>work and home\u00a0<\/span>life?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What can I do to stay productive in this new working environment?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What pair of\u00a0<\/span>p<\/span>y<\/span>j<\/span>ama<\/span>\u00a0bottoms should I wear<\/span>\u00a0for t<\/span>oday\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>conference call?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But<\/span>\u00a0perhaps<\/span>\u00a0chief among the<\/span>\u00a0questions<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that I\u2019ve heard<\/span>\u00a0is:<\/span>\u00a0are virtual meetings<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>simply\u00a0<\/span>a waste of time?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Since\u00a0<\/span>they have replaced<\/span>\u00a0their offline equivalent<\/span>, p<\/span>eople<\/span>\u00a0ha<\/span>ve all <\/span>been<\/span>\u00a0occasionally<\/span>\u00a0tempted to answer that question with an emphatic\u00a0<\/span>“YES\u201d<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And who could blame\u00a0<\/span>them<\/span>?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They<\/span>\u2019ve\u00a0<\/span>had to see\u00a0<\/span>them<\/span>selves at\u00a0<\/span>every unflattering camera angle<\/span>\u00a0at 9am<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>They<\/span>\u2019ve heard every imaginable iteration of \u201cCan you see me? Can you hear me? Is this thing on?\u201d at the start of meetings. We\u2019ve all witnessed our own \u2018BBC\u00a0<\/span>News\u00a0<\/span>Da<\/span>d\u2019 moments with rampaging kids burst<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0into a colleague\u2019s room (typically while said colleague is in the middle of a key point).\u00a0<\/span>Thankfully<\/span>\u00a0the new backgrounds<\/span>*<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>available in<\/span>\u00a0Microsoft Teams<\/span>\u00a0hide any and all background distractions<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0keeping\u00a0<\/span>the focus on the speaker\u00a0<\/span>\u2013 whatever<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>might be going on behind them<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If we\u2019re honest with ourselves though, what we\u2019re really experiencing is one giant adjustment<\/span>: t<\/span>o a new way of life, new habits,\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>new work<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>dynamics<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>V<\/span>irtual meeting<\/span>s are just\u00a0<\/span>one piece of that puzzle<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>–<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>something we\u2019ll get better at over time.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to say<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0however,<\/span>\u00a0there isn\u2019t anything you can do\u00a0<\/span>right\u00a0<\/span>now<\/span>\u00a0to get more out of<\/span>\u00a0remote<\/span>\u00a0meetings.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First and foremost<\/span>, it\u2019s important to simply embrace that virtual meetings are\u00a0<\/span>essentially\u00a0<\/span>video meetings<\/span>\u00a0\u2013 by\u00a0<\/span>using your webcam as much as possible. Sure, we\u2019ve all felt a little camera shy\u00a0<\/span>early in the\u00a0<\/span>morning,<\/span>\u00a0but\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s proven that\u00a0<\/span>video means\u00a0<\/span>greater\u00a0<\/span>engagement\u00a0<\/span>from participants\u00a0<\/span>during meetings<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>That greater engagement combined with ability to share your screen while presenting means that attention is focused where it needs to be \u2013 and, online or offline, a meeting with focus is a good meeting.<\/span>\u00a0And with up to nine colleagues<\/span>*<\/span>\u00a0on\u00a0screen\u00a0at a time, there\u2019s no reason why online collaboration can\u2019t work as well as it does offline. The only downside, really, is that<\/span>\u00a0virtual<\/span>\u00a0meetings don\u2019t yet come with\u00a0<\/span>real-life<\/span>\u00a0coffees and\u00a0<\/span>croissants<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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C<\/span><\/b>hanging roles<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When approaching meetings consider<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>that everyone\u2019s role has changed recently. Colleagues with children\u00a0<\/span>are now teachers, executive chefs, playmates, entertainers<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>and m<\/span>uch more<\/span>. Others are\u00a0<\/span>now double-jobbing as\u00a0<\/span>carers<\/span>, shoppers and delivery people to their loved ones. The 9-5 h<\/span>as been disrupted and<\/span>, for a whole host of reasons,\u00a0<\/span>people<\/span>\u00a0aren’t always a<\/span>vailable\u00a0<\/span>for the 12pm catch-up.\u00a0<\/span>That\u2019s where a feature like recording and transcriptions in\u00a0<\/span>Microsoft\u00a0<\/span>Teams can<\/span>\u00a0be<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>pretty handy<\/span>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/span>all<\/span>owing the people who couldn\u2019t make<\/span>\u00a0the m<\/span>eeting to still get\u00a0<\/span>all of<\/span>\u00a0the info<\/span>rmation they need for the next one. With playback and a searchable transcrip<\/span>t available<\/span>, they<\/span>\u00a0won\u2019t miss a thing.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Meeting etiquette\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Part of getting used to virtual meetings is establishing\u00a0<\/span>a way of working that works for you. The dynamic of a virtual meeting is a little different\u00a0<\/span>from an in-person meeting. Maybe you\u2019ve already established a\u00a0<\/span>\u201cm<\/span>ute\u00a0<\/span>if you\u2019re not talking\u201d rule for larger meetings when the collective ambient noise of 40 people drowned out the speaker.<\/span>\u00a0Making sure everyone who wants to contribute can be heard is a little trickier in virtual meetings, but there\u2019s a pretty intuitive feature in\u00a0<\/span>Microsoft\u00a0<\/span>Teams<\/span>\u00a0that<\/span>\u00a0allows f<\/span>or people to simply raise their hand<\/span>*<\/span>, signaling to the m<\/span>eeting lead that they have something to say.\u00a0<\/span>With someone keeping an eye on the \u2018raise\u00a0<\/span>your<\/span>\u00a0hand\u2019 feature, you\u2019ll ensure that meetings are\u00a0<\/span>inclusive,<\/span>\u00a0and every question and point can be addressed.\u00a0<\/span>Quite a natural solution to a digital problem.<\/span>\u00a0Alternatively, the chat window<\/span>\u00a0is, of course, available<\/span>\u00a0in every meeting. This can be\u00a0<\/span>really useful<\/span>\u00a0for making sure questions and points can be made and addressed by whoever is leading<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>In a similar way, it\u2019s also not a bad idea to\u00a0<\/span>stick to som<\/span>e<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>fundamental good meeting practice: clear\u00a0<\/span>agendas and tim<\/span>e\u00a0<\/span>limits. B<\/span>ecause, physical or virtual, nobody wants to be in a meeting with no agenda that\u00a0<\/span>goes\u00a0<\/span>on and on.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget to have fun<\/span><\/b>!<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Work is about much more than just work.\u00a0<\/span>Sometimes the best meetings of the day are the ones you have while making a cup of tea. While these meetings don’t just happen while we\u2019re all working from home<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>consider\u00a0<\/span>how you can make them happen. With\u00a0<\/span>Microsoft\u00a0<\/span>Teams this can be as\u00a0<\/span>simple as\u00a0<\/span>setting up channels\u00a0<\/span>just\u00a0<\/span>for fun. That could\u00a0<\/span>be a ch<\/span>annel\u00a0<\/span>dedicated to\u00a0<\/span>funny\u00a0<\/span>cat videos, recipe ideas,\u00a0<\/span>or just\u00a0<\/span>a place where people can be silly. Let the interests of the people in your organisation guide you.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Use the whiteboard feature to bring a different dimension to virtual brainstorms. Do whatever you can to bring your offline culture online.\u00a0<\/span>Ultimately, virtual meetings are still there to connect people to each other. The more we can do to keep those connections natural and fun, the bet<\/span>ter morale will be across\u00a0<\/span>meetings of all kinds.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, are virtual meetings a waste of time?\u00a0<\/span>No<\/span>t if you don\u2019t want them to be<\/span>. It\u2019s simply a matter of adjusting to the change, embracing the<\/span>\u00a0huge<\/span>\u00a0benefits<\/span>\u00a0on offer<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>and finding the spot in your home with the most complimentary light<\/span>!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Notes: * features available shortly.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Shirley Finnerty<\/p>\n

M365 Business Group Lead<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Virtual meetings – a waste of time?   Lately, we\u2019ve all had to adjust to\u00a0working from home. But arriving\u00a0as it did\u00a0so suddenly,\u00a0has raised\u00a0more than a few questions\u00a0we\u00a0haven\u2019t\u00a0had\u00a0to\u00a0consider before:\u00a0 How can I set\u00a0appropriate\u00a0boundaries between\u00a0work and home\u00a0life?\u00a0 What can I do to stay productive in this new working environment?\u00a0 What pair of\u00a0pyjama\u00a0bottoms should I wear\u00a0for today\u2019s\u00a0conference call?\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":332751,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"class_list":["post-332268","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-none-en-ie","specials-work-productivity-en-ie","stories-how-can-i-work-anywhere-and-everywhere-en-ie","stories-working-from-everywhere-en-ie","businessPriorities-modern-workplace-en-ie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en-ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332268"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en-ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en-ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en-ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en-ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=332268"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en-ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332268\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":339576,"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en-ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332268\/revisions\/339576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en-ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/332751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en-ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=332268"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pulse.microsoft.com\/en-ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=332268"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}