Courtesy of the MRI Network
The WFH model is now an integral feature of virtually every
white-collar professional’s daily routine. Freed from the daily grind of an
energy-draining commute to the office, most knowledge industry workers report
they are starting work earlier and fully engaged for longer hours. This would
seem to be a recipe for added productivity, particularly when linked to new
video communication technologies. But for many workers, the physical limits of
Zoom-type technologies and the natural inclinations of bosses to ensure full
engagement of dispersed teams can lead to WFH burnout.
Exploring these two powerful forces through the eyes of a
multimedia expert working in a professional services environment can yield some
surprisingly common-sense solutions. Patrick Convery, Senior Marketing Manager
at MRINetwork, one of the world’s leading talent access
organizations, addresses the challenge for employees from a technology and
management perspective.
“Most of my professional life has involved work in front of
and behind a camera – capturing vivid images and smart dialogue to drive
training, internal communication, and B-to-B thought leadership content to
build brands,” says Convery. “My background should have fully prepared me for
the sudden transition to a full-time WFH situation driven by the pandemic. But
I got caught in the trap between video technology and an overcompensation for
the lack of quality face-to-face time with team members and clients.”
Technology-savvy Convery initially welcomed the elimination
of a three-hour round-trip commute to the office and was excited about the
added time to accomplish more work – both faster and more effectively. He soon
found, however, that his new-found productive time was consumed by an endless
series of video calls and his inability to protect those precious hours to
accomplish critical tasks.
He created a path out of the technology and time trap
through three axioms, which are applicable to almost any role in the new world
of work.
Axiom 1: Video calls are unnatural acts. Make them as
natural as possible.
As user friendly as new Zoom technologies are, they all
force participants to live in a one-screen, one-position environment. Patrick
notes, “In normal, live, face to-face meetings, you can shift positions, move
from side- to-side, cross your legs, and look pensively out the window as you
absorb your colleague’s comments. Your listening skills are engaged and your
body language is adding a communication layer to the speaker who senses your
response to the dialogue.” Convery offers two key production tips:
1.
Use a camera angle that allows you to shift
between sitting and standing. Controlled motion promotes more natural
participation. Use a standing desk or elevate the position of the camera. When
standing don’t hesitate to look off to the side as if looking out a window from
time to time (even if it is an imaginary window). It provides a non-verbal cue
expressing your interest in the comments to the speaker or the audience.
2.
Avoid the Brady Bunch effect – don’t try to
look at all the participants at once for any length of time. Shift from the
gallery view to speaker mode for a more natural focus on the speaker. Every so
often, go to voice-only to allow for a brief stretching exercise.
Axiom 2: Consider an old-fashioned phone call for quick
routine exchanges.
You remember phone calls, right? Hassle free, simple to
arrange, and easily managed to be short and concise. Don’t hesitate to turn
down a video request and suggest a voice-only alternative.
Axiom 3: Don’t suffer in silence.
If your schedule is overloaded with video check-ins, say
something! Tell your boss that too frequent, lengthy, and often unfocused video
calls are not productive for anyone. So far, technology hasn’t provided a
solution for that important comment with a colleague traded briefly around the
water cooler or as a quick question over the office partition. Until technology
delivers that immediacy (and be assured it is being worked on right now),
Convery notes, “You must be assertive and jealously protect that most precious
commodity, time, to successfully get a job completed. If you need to block off
your calendar to focus on executing tasks and guard against additional calls
and meetings being added to your day – do it and don’t feel about it.”
