How to Have Meaningful Meetings via Zoom | Rick J. Lindsey

Most people are now settling into working at home. They are getting used to seeing their colleagues on screens for most of the day. Online meetings lack togetherness, and as a result, people feel the distance between them. According to Adam Grant, such instances result in loneliness in the workplace. Organizations need to develop ways of connecting in virtual meetings. They have to come up with ways of how employees can bond virtually. Here are key pointers to note to ensure you have meaningful discussions via zoom.

Maximize High-Quality Connections
Many people easily get distracted during zoom meetings. As a result, it is critical to take advantage of the short interactions to grab coworkers’ attention. It is essential to provide energy in the room by ensuring the connection lights people up. Coworkers need to be a little bit more creative during their interactions. 

They should avoid the ordinary “how are you doing?” question and ensure they capture their colleagues’ attention in the first instance. Instead, they need to engage their coworkers with questions like, “what did you do this week that you enjoyed?” Such a question demonstrates concern and interest, making it more meaningful. In addition, using positive emotions to open up people gives room for further exploration of the individual.

Allow Favorable Interpersonal Actions Through Humanizing Mechanism
Perception is a vital tool that controls our minds and way of thinking. For example, seeing news anchors addressing the audience from their kitchens makes people realize they are also human during virtual meetings. The humanizing effect makes people get to know each other better, creating deeper connections.
Many people are segmenters and love to put boundaries in place. Most of them are comfortable bringing work at home but not vice versa. Organizations need to open up new possibilities to allow people to experiment with different ideas. Companies need to bring a little bit of home to work to lighten up the zoom meetings. They can also introduce games to avoid zoom burnout.

Final thoughts
With most of the meetings and communication taking place remotely, companies need to develop ways of maximizing their zoom meetings. In addition, organizations need to be open to ideas and suggestions from their employees to have meaningful zoom meetings.