HOT READS: MEASUREMENT MATTERS FOR COMBATTING VIRTUAL FATIGUE

Research reported in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan Business Review confirms that the video meeting surge that we’ve all experienced is going to intensify.

Meeting practices that continue without measurement are doomed to fuel fatigue. Without the feedback and ideas of participants, fresh fixes to keep participants engaged and raise meeting productivity will not happen. Frequent polls and pulsing are essential, as is an open mind to recognize comments and make adjustments.

As the article notes, “After collecting feedback from meeting attendees, absorb and reflect on it. Let their thoughts sink in, and do not get discouraged. Then experiment and change things up, based on what you learn.”

Use different approaches in gathering feedback. Dulye & Co. President Linda Dulye–the DLE’s founder–whose firm specializes in engagement polls and practices for positive virtual meeting experiences, recommends two techniques:

1. Just-in-time assessments, where participants rate highs and lows of the meeting experience before ending the session, as well as offer improvement ideas. This can be done verbally or through video chat.
2. Online polls with a mix of open-ended and rating-based questions conducted over a few days, which give participants more time to think about their responses and recommendations.

“Don’t lose the opportunity to engage others in both evaluating aspects of the meeting and making adjustments–based on feedback–to improve. Meetings should have communal ownership,” she notes.