During the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have turned to Zoom and other platforms such as Skype and Microsoft Teams to keep business flowing as usual. These virtual platforms have been an amazing source for teams to connect face to face and hold meetings, resolve problems, and attempt to keep the office culture intact.
While Zoom and other platforms have been revolutionary in the commercial real estate industry and relatively any business field, people are beginning to feel a bit burnt out when it comes to participating in a multitude of video calls every week. This prompts the question of why people are tired of using the video feature, when it appears to be a game changer in connecting people. This can be answered by the idea that a video call demands the full attention from participants. Compared to office meetings where there are side chats, emails, office distractions, and various other aspects of the office that play into an individual’s attention span, a video call requires people to present themselves as overly attentive so they seem engaged in the meeting.
In person meetings previously allowed spontaneous conversation and developed the office culture. The transition to virtual meetings has opened the door into the home life of employees by showing the background of their home office with even more distractions than the corporate office, including children, pets, or spouses interrupting calls. This is typically met with frustration for those that are combating the distraction, and a moment of comic relief for other members in the meeting. People are continuously managing their home life and work life now, compared to having a more distinct work-life balance before the pandemic hit.
Zoom exhaustion tips:
- Try to avoid multitasking in order to give the attention and respect to the other members of the video call.
- Offer alternatives to video meetings such as simple phone calls or emails to reduce the occasional pressure of video calls.
- Schedule breaks between calls if possible, to stretch and review presentation materials in order to optimize video calls and potentially shorten them.
- Ask your team to use the same virtual background to reduce on screen distractions.
- Streamline the structure of meetings by providing a detailed agenda and order of speakers to maintain focus.
These are all ideas that are for personal use and can be implemented into the functionality of a team. The goal is to reduce Zoom exhaustion since the work from home situation has no true end date.
CD Wicks is a Director at RETS Associates, a national real estate executive search firm. She can be reached at cd@retsusa.com
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