Play is the antidote to Zoom Fatigue
By Caelan Huntress - Stellar Platforms
Zoom, Teams, and Skype are new technologies that allow us to have conversations with anyone in the world. We can see each other, hear each other, and ignore each other.
The bad news is, many people use videoconferencing technology like a waiting room. It’s a place to patiently wait while someone drones on about a topic. Zoom fatigue makes everyone tune out, and they go surf the internet while they patiently wait for the experience to end.
The good news is, when used to host an experience, a virtual meeting can be more like a party than a waiting room. People can have fun, build connections, and deepen relationships.
The easiest way to turn a waiting room into a party in a virtual meeting is: play a game. A game is an invitation to joy. It gives us a way to enjoy our work. In the context of a game, people can tackle hard problems together, learn to be resilient, and develop trust.
Play is the antidote to Zoom fatigue. When we play, our minds and creativity are engaged. We become interested in what’s happening, we develop rapport with other players, and learn to trust them in an artificial interaction. That trust can then transfer to the hard work in the rest of the meeting.
The next time you lead a virtual meeting, begin with an ‘Unofficial Start.’ This is an easy game or exercise that begins a few minutes before your scheduled meeting time and continues 2-3 minutes past the start time. It rewards people for arriving early and gives a festive atmosphere to everyone as soon as they arrive.
If you find yourself hosting a meeting with low energy, ask, ‘Does anyone want to play a game?’ Spend two minutes developing deeper relationships, and you will get better results.