Why we should stop pretending virtual meetings are working—and how to fix them

As 2020 draws to a close, it is abundantly clear that the way we work has changed. Some will continue to work for home, or do so more often, while others plan on going back to their offices, but not as they did before. At the center of hybrid workspace models is the video conference which bridges gaps in geography and enables meetings from anywhere at any time without the need for travel.

Earlier this year, there was novelty in the idea of peeking into each other’s home environments and Zooming in our pajamas. Video conferencing brought teams closer in the spirit of “we are in this together.”

However, as remote work becomes the “next normal,” video meetings are lagging as long-term substitutes for the physical world. Bad connections, people who do not care how they show up, meetings that run over time, and boring presentations are making drudgery of our dally string of video calls.

It is time to write the rule book for video conferencing and establish best practices. Here are 11 ways to make video meetings more productive, engaging, and human:

1. Rethink the way you run meetings.