Alright folks, time for some real talk.
We’re likely all experiencing the mixed blessing that is remote video meeting platforms. I mean, according to the company, Zoom’s daily users grew to more than 200 million in March from a previous maximum total of 10 million!
Here’s a personal example: One of my friends who happens to be a bosswoman told me she had 34 meetings scheduled last week. That’s pretty much 7 meetings a day for 5 days!
Let’s let that sink in.
On top of the other stresses each of us is figuring out how to navigate (I’m looking at you, Uncertainty!), all of a sudden, our days are filled with video calls which are exhausting. Tell me they’re less exhausting than a normal meeting. Go on.
Jocelyn K. Glei frames a solution in a simple mindset shift: If we think of the time in our calendar that is scheduled as the productive time, we find our calendars filled up with meetings and calls. HOWEVER, to do the creative, meaningful work we want to, we must preserve time outside of meetings. She calls this applying white space to the calendar. And here’s my take on how to practice inviting in white space in various ways.
White Space in Your Calendar to Get Stuff Done: Simple in concept, difficult in practice.
So, what tools do we have to create space and help us avoid Meeting Overload, and these days, Zoom Zombiedom? In classic facilitator fashion, have I got some questions for you!
Here are 3 questions to ask yourself to help you decide if you REALLY do need a meeting:
Is there a key person I can call to have this conversation/make a decision instead of holding a meeting?
Does the meeting have clear goals? If not, create them or don’t have it! Clear goals allows for more action, and more time between follow-up meetings.
Do your goals require real-time conversation to achieve? What other tools could you use to share or receive the same information?
And for those of you who have cancelled or rescheduled a larger event, here are some process questions(from So You Want to Host a Web Meeting to help your planning team make the best decision about whether to take your event online.
Larger Event (or smaller one too if you’
The meeting is important to the work, life, and interests of the people interested. We know this because ______. (Give evidence. Is it important because it’s mission critical? Because someone in charge said so? Be specific and concrete! Take participants’ perspectives into account)
By the end of the meeting we (conveners and participants) will have ______. (Describe what will have happened in as much detail as possible, using STRONG action verbs - “heard” is not one!)
The reasons this meeting should be held online is ______. (Probably because of COVID-19. Be clear why it is a good or not so good option.)
If we didn’t have this meeting, _______ will happen. (If there isn’t a good reason for the meeting, don’t have it!)
My final bonus recommendation for those meetings you DO decide are absolutely necessary: Take pauses regularly to breathe, even if it’s just for 30 seconds.
Once again, thank you from my heart and soul for your support, great senses of humor, brilliant minds, collaboration and what you're each doing to make the world a better place.
Cheers,
Where in the World is ConverSketch? At home! I hope you are too :)
This digital real-time graphic is from Arizona State University’s Public Service Academy’s Virtual Design Conference last week. Leadership shared how the program prepares the next generation of public service professionals for real-world solution seeking.
I’m partnering with USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) on a series of virtual meetings leading up to an in-person event. This diverse team of researchers is co-creating a vision for agricultural water resources for the next 30 years.
I got to collaborate with the US Fish and Wildlife Service in February on their social science summit, and the folks I worked with liked my Work From Home tips so much, they asked to share them on their internal site! Can you spot the ConverSketches above?
If you’re also finding yourself on more video calls than ever before and need a way to keep participants focused and anchored to their shared story, let’s explore how to leverage digital graphic recording or remote facilitation for you!