15 Ways to Effectively Combat Meeting Fatigue

Meeting fatigue isn’t just another buzzword; it's a real issue that affects millions of workers (both remote and on-site) worldwide. Although not a novelty, this condition, also referred to as Zoom fatigue in remote work environments, started making headlines just a few months after a big part of the workforce relocated from conferencing rooms to video conferencing platforms in 2020.

In this post we look at what meeting fatigue and its causes are, with special attention to remote work environments, and offer a list of tips and actions that can help mitigate and counter the main causes of meeting fatigue.

What is meeting fatigue?

Meeting fatigue is best described as exhaustion during and after a meeting.

This is a common issue that has been known for a long time (meeting-heavy schedules are not a new phenomenon), however, as the pandemic hit and we transitioned to remote work, meeting fatigue, now often referred to as Zoom fatigue, evolved into something different with a few unique issues and challenges.

This condition, also referred to as video conferencing fatigue, leads to a focus and productivity decrease, and negatively affects an individual's overall well-being. In addition, meeting fatigue increases anxiety and stress, which can cause severe physical conditions, such as high blood pressure.

Although it's not officially recognized as a medical diagnosis, two years since the Covid-19 crisis began, virtual meeting fatigue has become a hot topic for researchers worldwide, who are now examining its leading causes and consequences.

According to the State of Virtual Meetings 2021 Report, before the COVID-19 pandemic, knowledge workers reported spending two hours per week in virtual meetings. A year and a half later, the average time reached 10 hours each week.

While excessive, or unproductive, meetings are an issue even in on-site workplaces, their negative effects can be offset by the possibility of interacting with team members in real-time, be it for a quick solution to a work-related issue or just to chat and socialize during a break.

In remote work environments, on the other hand, meeting time is often the only opportunity to interact with colleagues and team members that doesn’t involve slack notifications or other asynchronous work tools and methods, and if meetings are not effective and useful, frustration can quickly build up.

What causes meeting fatigue (in remote environments)?

With different challenges in on-site and remote workplaces, it only makes sense that the causes of meeting fatigue in different environments would vary to an extent, but what are the causes that are specifically causing fatigue in remote work enviroments?

At the beginning of 2021, Prof. Jeremy Bailenson researched the psychological consequences of daily multi-hour video conferencing. He is a founding director of the Stanford VHIL ( Virtual Human Interaction Lab) and a communication Professor.

At that point, Zoom fatigue was already detected as an issue harming employees' well-being all around the globe, including Professor Bailenson, who also uses platforms for video meetings. Therefore, as he says, his goal was not to discriminate against any video conferencing platform but to see their impact on our physical and mental state.

As his research shows, factors causing Zoom fatigue are:

1. The amount of eye contact and the number of faces we are looking at can be overwhelming. As Professor Bailenson explains, "Social anxiety of public speaking is one of the biggest phobias that exist in our population." A similar feeling appears when we attend a video meeting. Unlike in-person meetings where everyone looks at a speaker, in a Zoom meeting, everyone looks at everyone. Such situations can cause discomfort to many.
   
   

2. Seeing yourself on video chats is stressful. Another factor adding to Zoom fatigue is a feature that video platforms offer - we can see our own faces while talking to others on a video call. Professor Bailenson gives an example in the form of a hypothesis. He asks how we would feel if someone followed us with a mirror in real life and we could see ourselves while talking to others? It would feel unnatural. Therefore, he thinks this feature can negatively reflect our self-view and is tiresome.

3. Video chats limit our movement. For instance, phone calls and talking to someone face-to-face allow us to be mobile. On the other hand, we must be still while on the video call. For some people, such limitations can cause anxiety and a focus decrease. In addition, "There's a growing research now that says when people are moving, they're performing better cognitively," Professor Bailenson explains.

4. Interaction via video platforms complicates nonverbal communication. Finally, the fourth cause of Zoom fatigue is how we perceive nonverbal cues. When on Zoom calls, we must put a lot of thought into our gestures and body language, which we rarely think about when talking to someone in person.

Our tips to effectively combat meeting fatigue in any work setup

1. Set meeting guidelines

Meeting guidelines include the primary outcome you want to reach during the meeting and the actions required to achieve it. These actions may consist of voting/decision-making or the definition of follow-up actions or deliverables. Also, they should include how much time you can dedicate to each meeting segment and who the key meeting participants are.

2. Cut meetings wherever possible

We are all familiar with a "this meeting could have been an email" situation. All information that doesn't require additional discussion should be communicated via email or other more suitable channels. As mentioned above, meetings for the sake of meetings are a waste of time and harm employees' workflow.

3. Set a time limit for your meetings, and stick to it

As you expect your employees to be as productive as possible during the workday, you must respect their time. With that said, time management is a vital element of an effective meeting. Thus, define its duration and start on time, as according to a Microsoft study, fatigue begins to set in after 30 minutes into a meeting. Once you established your meeting duration, make sure you don’t go over the allotted time.

4. Share a meeting agenda before the meeting

If you want a meeting to be effective, create an agenda before every encounter and share it with every required attendee. That way, every participant will be well prepared and know why their presence is essential and the purpose of the meeting.  It will also give invitees the opportunity to opt out or suggest issues that might have been overlooked.

5. Ask for ideas and input before the meeting

As an executive, you have a lot on your mind, and encouraging employees to share ideas before the next meeting prevents any vital topic from slipping under the radar. It’s also a great way to involve team members that might be more introverted, new to the organization or uncomfortable with public speaking, giving them a way to contribute and have their ideas recognized.

6. Create a participants list

Not all employees are required to be at every meeting, and only those who are truly needed should be asked to invest time in a meeting. Thus, establishing whose presence is critical, and most importantly, strictly limiting the number of attendees, prevents meeting fatigue and increases your effectiveness.

7. Make it interactive

Of course, not everyone will have to say something in the meeting. However, encouraging as many attendees as possible to engage in conversation by asking follow-up questions or giving feedback on a speaker's presentation will keep everyone more focused and energized.

8. Avoid multitasking

When you schedule meetings, write a note to be entirely focused during each session. Remember, a successful manager leads by example. If your employees see you answer emails and messages, take phone calls (or even check social media) during a virtual meeting, they will do the same. Such behaviors can end up dragging a meeting beyond its scheduled time, and can result in weak outcomes or poor decision making.

9. Reduce the background noise

Remote work allows employees to choose where they work and how their offices are set up. However, such flexible arrangements may present an obstacle during a meeting as you may have to deal with a variety of background noise coming from multiple sources.

The simplest way to reduce distracting noises on video calls is by asking employees to mute their microphone while someone else is speaking, use their headsets, and, if possible, choose a quiet place when attending team meetings.

10. Take a break

Sometimes employees will have a couple of meetings in a row. However, back-to-back meetings tend to put a lot of pressure on employees. Fortunately, many calendar apps allow you to schedule a five, 10, or 15-minute break between meetings, enabling participants to rest from the previous and mentally prepare for the next one. Make sure employees are encouraged to take these breaks.

11. Breaks during a meeting also help

Longer video calls require mini-breaks. Employees don't have to stare at the screen constantly to listen to what others have to say. It may seem obvious, but if you notice tired faces, tell your employees to rest their eyes by minimizing the screen or looking away for a few seconds. If the meeting is very long, suggest a break for everyone and just pause the call.

12. Set clear expectations but be flexible

We discussed the four causes of Zoom fatigue, and the first one is the excessive amount of eye contact during a video call. To counter this, consider allowing participants to turn off their cameras occasionally if they feel more comfortable that way, or just suggest that those who prefer to follow the meeting with their camera off can do so.

However, it is essential to establish a policy and be clear when participants must see each other, for example clearly communicating that speakers should turn their cameras on, and it’s equally important that these policies and rules are clear from the start.

13. Eliminate on-screen stimuli

With people working in different environments, it's hard not to notice their surroundings. While it can be interesting to see a guitar collection or stacked book shelf in the background, this can also be distracting and a source of hyper-stimulation.

Having a plain background can dramatically decrease meeting fatigue.

Alternatively, as suggested in the section above, ask everyone who is not speaking to turn off their cameras to reduce on-screen stimuli and help a speaker be more focused while presenting.

14. Opt for email or phone call when manageable

Suppose you have a team meeting and, afterward, a one-on-one with one of the participants. In that case, ask them if they are up for a phone call or an email instead of a video call. The chances are they are also tired of video calls and will gladly accept your suggestion. They might even take advantage of the phone meeting to go for a walk and recharge while in the call.

15. Have a meeting-free day

As the research mentioned in the introductions shows, we spend about one-fourth of our workweek on video calls. Hopefully, we will develop more sustainable solutions to prevent or reduce Zoom fatigue; a meeting-free day is a good start. Look at Citigroup. The company's CEO Jane Fraser, banned internal Zoom meetings on Fridays to combat meeting fatigue.

Start getting rid of meeting fatigue with Roots

Zoom and other similar platforms are here to stay, especially as more and more companies remain remote-first or remote-friendly. Still, you can help your employees fight video conferencing fatigue by making them optional, not a default.

Alternatives exist and are as effective as video meeting solutions. Organize one-on-ones or help employees create bonds from the comfort of Slack. Are you interested to learn more? Then, visit Roots; we'll be more than happy to be your ally in the fight for a meeting fatigue-free work environment.

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