If you’re finding that you and your team are exhausted after a long day of video meetings, you’re not alone. Video conference burnout is a real thing, partly because video requires us to stare at a screen for large chunks of time without any mental breaks — a taxing proposal. To make video calls less exhausting and more efficient for your company in the long term, try using a few research-based tips.
Streamline Your Video Apps
Over 60% of companies report using three or more video conferencing platforms, which can cause unnecessary frustration for your employees. Consider using a UCaaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) platform to streamline all of your communications together into a single app. A good choice is RingCentral Video, formerly Glip, which provides HD video, messaging, file sharing, and even phone tools, so your employees don’t have to constantly bounce between products. RingCentral’s platform works with Google, Microsoft Teams, and Office 365, so it’s all your team will need for streamlined remote collaboration.
Make Team Collaboration Easier
There’s nothing more frustrating than joining a video meeting and idling for the first 10 minutes because everybody hasn’t communicated in advance. Similarly, when people don’t maintain strong communication after a meeting, projects often stall because information gets fragmented across emails and texts. Utilizing a platform that allows your team to stay connected before, during, and after video meetings will help lessen the time drain and frustration. Again, RingCentral Video is a good choice here, as its innovative “team connect” tool allows users to create team messaging groups so they can message, share files, and manage tasks with everyone in their team.
Build in Breaks
Humans simply aren’t designed to stare at a monitor all day, so encourage your employees to take mini breaks to stay charged up. They can do this by minimizing the meeting window and looking out the real-life window for a bit (it’s possible to listen without staring at the screen, after all.) You can also consider meetings that run 25 or 50 minutes (instead of the standard 30 and 60) to give your team enough time in between to rest their eyes.
Switch Up Your Platforms
Remember that video isn’t the only way to hold a meeting. If your 4PM video meeting rolls around and team energy is low, give people the choice of dialing in by phone instead. Another way to keep things fresh during back-to-back video meetings is to change up your surroundings. Utilize a flexible video platform that will let you and the team seamlessly switch from laptops to phones to tablets and take the meeting with you.
Avoid Multitasking During Meetings
We all know how tempting it is to get a leg up on other work while on a video call. But according to Harvard Business Review, multitasking may seem like you’re getting more work done, but it doesn’t mean you’re being more productive. Encourage your employees to close any tabs or programs and stay present during meetings. If your team can avoid distractions and absorb information more efficiently, it might mean less work for them on the back end.
