5 minute read
Virtual Meetings Are Not Your Enemy
Dana Look-Arimoto
Virtual meetings. Once, a rarity often secluded to large companies. Now, an everyday occurrence that means we have to be presentable from the waist up.
COVID-19 has forced people to become virtual at an extremely accelerated pace. Going from meeting up with friends in very real places after leaving a physical office building, to confining all meetings, personal and professional, to your computer, laptop, or phone screen. And while COVID-19 sped up the process, this shift was only a matter of time, especially where I work and live in the Silicon Valley. Here, the push for companies to become more accepting of virtual models and meetings was already on the rise. That push became an unceremonious shove around the globe as companies and people had to adapt to social distancing and lockdown orders.
So, all this is to say that virtual meetings and models are here to stay, in some form or another, even when the pandemic passes. We are going through life-altering times and there will never truly be a return to what was before.
The New Norm
The shift to a virtual model, at least for my work, was a seamless transition because I was already almost completely virtual. I run a “solo-prenuership” called Phoenix5, where I coach executives, leaders, and companies on building teams and corporate cultures that last. My clients are spread all over the United States and our sessions are conducted over phone or Zoom. The only time my job required me to show up in person was when I led offsites or spoke at events. Now, this is not to say that I don’t miss meeting with my clients in person. I absolutely do. But I was participating in the so-called “new norm” before it was the norm, so I didn’t feel too much change in that sense.
Where I did feel a huge change was my social life. Meeting up with friends in-person to take walks or grab a drink and a bite to eat was a big part of my relaxation time. And I loved it. I am a social person, though growing slightly more “hermit-esque” with age, and I enjoy spending time around my friends. Adapting to a virtual model here was a much bigger challenge.
in-place of meeting with them. But of course, it’s not the same. I missed having the social experience of sitting down with everyone and actually DOING something. After various video calls and chats with friends that put a dent in my need for social interactions, I joined the board of Infiniscape, a platform that is working to provide a space for people to have meaningful discussions, meet other like-minded people, and learn about yourself in the process in a virtual way.
The Move toward Virtual Meetings as Standard
The adjustment of my own work and social life into a virtual one was challenging but it also brought forward a lot of innovation and creativity that I wasn’t expecting from virtual meetings.
Virtual models afford the freedom to structure your day in a way that makes sense for you and, if done correctly, switches to a more performance-based model at work. You have meetings to attend and deadlines to hit, but outside of that, how and when you complete your work is up to you! There is an overwhelming amount of freedom in that, if you can learn to find a routine that works for you and incorporates what matters to you, the virtual model becomes a tool for living a life that is tailored to you. Obviously, I am a big proponent of virtual meetings. It has made what I love to do a thriving business and I am inspired by the innovation that is budding out of this new challenge posed by COVID-19. Replacing human interaction through the impersonality of technology is a huge ask. But, instead of looking at it as a setback, we need to embrace these virtual models and meetings as a way that technology is working to help us live our lives in a way that matters to us. The Benefits of the Virtual Model
Virtual meetings struggle to replace the same feeling of actually being with others in a room, they offer a wider variety of options for people. Take, for example, commuting hours. Many people would commute to and from work. Now, that time can be used to spend doing something that person wants to do. They can sleep in an extra hour, use that time to work out, pursue a hobby, or get started on work early so their afternoons are freer. The guilt trap is also lessened. So what if you empty your dishwasher, walk the dog, or break up your day differently to spend time with your kids or aging parents during the “regular” workday? Now, more than ever, results count and performance is key, not hours logged.
Becoming Comfortable with Virtual Meetings
Virtual models and meetings offer great opportunities but there are definitely pitfalls that we can fall into if we’re not careful.
When it comes to virtual meetings, I am a big supporter of the business up top, PJs on the bottom method. I am one of those people that can work in sweats or PJs and still be just as productive as if I was “dressed appropriately.” Maybe this doesn’t work for you and you prefer to attend meetings as if you were doing so in person. That’s fine, too! The idea is to do whatever makes sense for you.
Another pitfall is that in a virtual meeting, it is really easy to be distracted by emails and phone alerts. You’ll be in a virtual meeting and an email pops up in your inbox or you get a text, and you answer it right away. I am not perfect and even I am guilty of this sometimes. Try and stop yourself from doing this. Put your phone on silent and out of reach. Close your email while you are in your meeting. Just because you are not there physically, doesn’t mean you can check out mentally as well.
Finally, get your family involved! What I mean by this is have a way of telling them when you need total quiet vs. some noise being okay. This is real life on display, so work together to create space that works for you, them, and those in the meeting! Some days my dog is on my lap as a conversation starter, other
Looking To the Future
As I mentioned in the beginning, even when COVID-19 goes away, virtual meetings will stay. People have and are easing into this new norm and, even if there’s a slight shift backward, the old norm is not coming back.
Virtual meetings, once you get used to them, provide a wealth of opportunities and innovation that was not possible pre-COVID. I can’t wait to see where the innovative minds of this era will take these meetings. It’s going to be fascinating to watch.
