{"id":4525,"date":"2013-03-05T08:45:36","date_gmt":"2013-03-05T14:45:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.watermarklearning.com\/blog\/?p=4525"},"modified":"2024-08-26T11:46:38","modified_gmt":"2024-08-26T16:46:38","slug":"virtual-meeting-challenges-stop-fighting-the-multitaskers-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.watermarklearning.com\/blog\/virtual-meeting-challenges-stop-fighting-the-multitaskers-part-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual Meeting Challenges: Stop Fighting the Multitaskers, Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

The frustration of multitaskers was the topic of my last blog<\/a>, in which I reminded readers of two things most of us already know: 1) Our brains really don\u2019t allow us to\"brain mentally think\u00a0about two things at once, and 2) Most of us are not able to sustain our attention on something for more than about 40 minutes.<\/p>\n

What can a virtual team facilitator do given these real, valid constraints of attendees?\u00a0 Below are five virtual meeting strategies that may mitigate the tempo-busting frequent request to \u201crepeat that, please.\u201d\u00a0 These aren\u2019t things that will work for every meeting, so you need to be strategic about when you try to utilize these approaches.\u00a0 When you really need everyone mentally present, see how these work for you:<\/p>\n

1. Bribe attendees<\/h2>\n

Give your meeting attendees the resource they value most in exchange for their attention: time.\u00a0 If you normally have 60 minute meetings, commit to finishing in 45 if everyone commits to closing email and putting cell phones away.\u00a0 This is easier said than done, for sure, but most people would be willing to try it if it means 15 more minutes for something else.<\/p>\n

2. Schedule longer meetings.<\/h2>\n

OK, I just suggested the opposite, but shorter meetings won\u2019t always work.\u00a0 Sometimes the purpose of the meeting requires more than 45 minutes or the opportunity for a particular group of people to meet is fleeting and has to be seized.<\/p>\n

In this instance, schedule what might be a 90 minute meeting for two hours, but include two 15-minute breaks.\u00a0 Key to this approach is getting commitment to resume after break on time.<\/p>\n

3. Identify decisions to be made in the meeting invitation.<\/h2>\n

The purpose of the meeting should always drive all other meeting planning as I have written in a previous blog<\/a>, but it can take on additional importance in a virtual team meeting environment. Along with the agenda and other pre-meeting details sent ahead of time, highlighting the decisions to be made in a meeting can help for those who get distracted during virtual meetings.<\/p>\n

4.\u00a0Consensus Schmensus \u2013 Take a Vote and Be Done Already<\/h2>\n

Sometimes dictatorial decision making gets a bum rap.\u00a0 I can think of numerous situations and a variety of circumstances in which I\u2019ve watched people wallow in the quagmire of consensus.\u00a0 Often this is because they confuse consensus with everyone getting everything they want, but even when it is just finding something everyone can support, it\u2019s not always necessary to get to that point.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, it really would be OK for someone to make a decision without everyone\u2019s blessing.\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s not what we all want, but at least we all get to move on.\u00a0 It\u2019s not always a bad thing.<\/p>\n

In a virtual team meeting, when decisions come up, take a vote and if someone can\u2019t register their vote because they aren\u2019t paying attention, or because they\u2019ve gotten away from their desk, they forfeit their vote.\u00a0 Set the expectation and let people know ahead of time that come decision-making time, we\u2019ll be going around the virtual table and you get one chance to weigh in.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0Make Meeting Recordings Available as Alternative to Attending.<\/h2>\n

Most online tools allow for recording of a session.\u00a0 Particularly for meetings which are for information sharing as opposed to decision making, a recording of a meeting made available to those who couldn\u2019t attend may be an option. Not only does it provide flexibility for those who get the information via the recording, but it also may mean fewer attendees in the actual meeting which can mean less discussion, technical problems, etc.<\/p>\n

A major caveat with this, of course, is requiring that someone spend the time watching a recording when they may have been unable to attend because they were busy in another meeting.\u00a0 Sounds like a quick way to create 16-hour work days.<\/p>\n

Clearly, not all of these will work or even make sense for every meeting. But these things are certain:\u00a0 We will continue to work in a virtual team environment, none of us really multitasks like we think we can, and we can only stay focused for so long \u2013 which is shorter than the duration of most of our meetings.<\/p>\n

Our infatuation with the idea that we are capable of multitasking and therefore remain constructive participants in lengthy meetings isn\u2019t serving anyone well.\u00a0 We are better off acknowledging our real physical and intellectual limitations and working to change our organizational meeting cultures to make better use of everyone\u2019s time.<\/p>\n

As I say when I teach, if what you\u2019re doing is working well, then for heaven\u2019s sake keep doing it.\u00a0 But if the tempo of your online meetings is handicapped with attendees who won\u2019t, can\u2019t, or don\u2019t know how to stay as engaged as they need to be, try doing things a little differently.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d love to hear from you if you try (or have tried) any of these approaches or if you have used other tactics to keep your virtual meetings focused.<\/p>\n

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

The frustration of multitaskers was the topic of my last blog, in which I reminded readers of two things most of us already know: 1) Our brains really don\u2019t allow us to mentally think\u00a0about two things at once, and 2) Most of us are not able to sustain our attention on something for more than 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