An article in the recent issue of Psychology Today addresses how our eyes, gestures and tone put us in synch with each other in ways that online platforms will never duplicate. Like all primates, we’re social creatures and regardless of how effective WebEx, Facetime, Skype, Zoom and the others are – and don’t get me wrong, they’re godsends for all of us right now – video meetings and classes are just different and tiring. When we physically get together, we unconsciously mirror each other, our heart rates, blinks, perspiration and respiration send signals called neuroception; we sense nuance, we focus, empathize and we can read each other. But in the absence of hanging out together, video is the next best thing. Here are two slightly different articles that address the same challenge, each with 6 (six) similar and important things to keep in mind.
https://hbr.org/2020/04/how-to-combat-zoom-fatigue
If you’d like to turn your live online sessions up a notch, here are 7 (seven) ideas on how to better engage your attendees and make your production shine.
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-to-make-your-now-virtual-event-shine/
But, we all need to adjust and lower our expectations a bit. There are online benefits, of course, like making meetings accessible to more people in far flung locations and the reduced need to wear pants, but true relationship building will be lacking and decisions will likely take longer.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/16/zoom-diplomacy-coronavirus-188811
*Thanks, Aretha.