THERE’S lots of talk these days about Zoom Fatigue and it’s got me thinking about how to make the experience better for Food Safety, Food Science and food industry professionals.
This post is about holding effective Zoom meetings and I’ll share some tips to help you do that.
If your audience is bored or you’re not getting through to people, it’s likely you’re not projecting and communicating with energy, proper tone and earnestness.
Tips for better Zoom meetings
Stand up during your Zoom meetings.
Instead of spending so much time worried about the perfect Zoom background, spend time setting up your laptop or monitor so you can stand up and speak to the camera at eye level.
Now standing, engage your core muscles while you speak, maintain posture with your head held high and back, not leaning towards the monitor.
Roll your shoulders backwards.
The tendency with speaking into a monitor, tablet or your laptop is to curl inward and forward, which restricts your airways, makes you look smaller and presents a less than ideal image.
Standing straight with chin back, core muscles engaged and shoulders back projects confidence, keeps your airway clear to project your voice and makes you larger than life.
Make sure your camera eye is at or above eye level.
Looking downward promotes curling inward with shoulders and scrunching your airways – do whatever necessary to get your camera at eye level or slightly above so it’s easier to keep your chin up and airway free.
Summary
Stand for Zoom meetings
Maintain posture, engage core muscles and keep your airway clear
Make sure camera is at or above eye level
These tips are not unique to Zoom meetings – these are the same skills that we encourage candidates to use when doing phone interviews or for sales people making cold calls.
Although you may have some fatigue from standing(that goes away and frankly, it’s better for you than sitting all day), your communication skills will improve.
You’ll also be more effective communicating and influencing others, which is the goal, whether you’re doing it in person or via Zoom.
That alone will reduce OTHER people’s Zoom Fatigue – instead of sapping other people’s energy, you’ll leave them with more energy than when they started.
And by the way, YOUR fatigue with Zoom is the preparation that goes into each meeting AND the new skills you’re learning using a new medium.
It’s still a meeting, not unlike other meetings you’ve led or been in.
It’s a different medium, but the skills you need to communicate effectively are the same ones that make you more effective over the phone.
Bear that in mind as you work through the anxiety, dread, fatigue or whatever else you have as you prepare for your next Zoom meeting.
It’s just a new tool, nothing more – the skills to become a better communicator with Zoom are the same skills that make you a better public speaker.
Please SHARE this article with someone you think will appreciate it – SHARE with your remote team, SHARE with a mentor or a mentee – anyone who you think will appreciate tips on being a better communicator.
