Whether working from home or back in the office, Zoom has now become normal… The two options, online or in-person, however, have one thing in common: It’s hard to keep employees engaged!
But lucky for you and your team, there are some action steps you can take to try and stay awake in meetings (zoom or not!)
First, define the purpose of the meeting before you go into it. What do you want to share? What do you want to learn? Understand and define this before you enter the meeting, so you can listen carefully to what others are saying.
It’s important to have a tidy space and a conducive set up so you can avoid unnecessary distractions. Have any materials or items that you will need during the meeting handy. Silence your devices and make sure people know you’re in “do not disturb” mode. Jump on the call early if you’re remote. Make sure your video is on point and all your systems are working properly.
Planning your space also applies to in-person meetings. Make sure all your devices are turned off so that they won’t distract you or anyone else. If you’re in an actual office building, or zoom room it’s still beneficial to plan your space in order to support employees as HR professionals.
When you do speak, acknowledge what the person before you said. Not only does this inform the group that you are listening but also the person before you feel heard. Virtually, it can be difficult to not talk over one another, so repeating the point stated before can provide clarity.
There may be times where you get distracted and the conversation has already transitioned into a new topic. When this happens, be sure to speak up and ask. Simply state that you lost track of the conversation and need help understanding the new topic. This might help others who have lost track as well but aren’t comfortable speaking up.
Your mind will likely wander during virtual meetings—it’s almost inevitable! Don’t worry. When you notice it happening, try your best to nudge your attention back to the present conversation. One way to keep your attention on the conversation is to keep a pad of paper nearby. You can not only write down important information from the call but also if a thought outside of your meeting topics comes into mind, write it down to return to later.
Maintaining solid company culture during this time can be difficult. But fostering culture is vital to the success of your business. Contact us to see how we can help you optimize your HR department and build a successful company during this transition period.