Is organization and prioritization a priority for you and your company? How do you organize your priorities?
Use the Eisenhower Matrix framework to help you triage tough decisions from the many tasks. Prioritize items according to their urgency and importance.
Dear Dr. Jim,
We’ve all heard of Zoom fatigue, but what else should I be aware of or watch out for?
– Marie-Hélène
Hi Marie-Hélène,
During this time of Zoom meetings that seem to be back to back, by the end of the day you’re like a marathon runner who’s run out of gas – you’re struggling and trying to keep your thoughts together.
So that’s one thing: too many meetings too close together. Another thing is going to meetings you shouldn’t be in. You should also be aware of taking time off during the day. Go for a walk. Even 15 minutes can make a big difference.
Now, I want to explain something that goes on when you start getting Zoom fatigue, and this research is from Dr. Travis Bradberry (see diagram in video):
One of the cues to look out for when you’re working is whether you can still have clear thoughts and move through your priorities that you have set. If you find yourself staring at the screen, unable to maintain concentration, you’re getting into anxiety area, and that, on a long term basis is very self-destructive to your health.
Take care of yourself. Thank you.
– Dr. Jim
*names have been changed
Renée walks you through when and why to use breakout rooms and how to do it effectively.
Dear Dr. Jim,
My new manager is insisting we use our video cameras during virtual meetings. Is this really necessary? My previous manager was fine with us having them off.
– Holly*
Holly,
Would you go to a face-to-face meeting with a bag over your head? No you wouldn’t.
That’s what it’s like to be in a meeting where people are not on video. You can’t see them. Most people are probably multitasking and not fully paying attention, so it just kind of screws up the whole thing.
Now, I realize there can be connection problems and things like that, and that’s fine, but everybody should be up on video – ready and present, so you can SEE one another, and interact with one another, like you’re together, almost face-to-face. This helps reduce people not paying attention and multitasking.
So when you’re in meetings, whether it be Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Workplace, etc., come on video, look at one another, and be interactive and pay attention. Also look at the camera – that’s really important, too.
Your meetings will become much more interesting and you’ll be able to see each other. Get over your shyness – it’s fun! Once you get over it, you’ll find it much easier. It’s just a matter of moving into a different way of doing things. Hopefully this is helpful.
– Dr. Jim
*names have been changed
Renée Safrata, Vivo Team Founder and CEO, introduces the ladder technique and the importance of having a designated moderator or assumed leader in virtual conversations with more than two people. #managerminute
You may already be working on some personal goals—exercise, yoga or drinking more water—but have you set your sights on any professional goals? We have an idea for you and your team!
We’re challenging YOU to cut meeting times by 25% to increase team effectiveness while saving time and money.
To get started, download our 30-Day Meeting Challenge Tracker – it’s rewarding to see your efforts pay off!
Here are some tips on how to do it well:
After the 30 days, divide your number of meetings under 45 minutes by your total number of meetings (then multiply by 100) to get your final score.
For added fun and accountability, collect money for a local charity as part of the challenge!
Let us know how you did at:
Email: hello@vivoteam.com
Social:
#30daymeetingchallenge
Facebook: vivoteamdevelopment
Twitter: @vivoteams
Instagram: @vivoteamdevelopment
Dear Dr. Jim,
Working from home can get monotonous. How can I spice it up for the New Year?
– Sam*
Hi Sam,
I’ve been working remotely for about 20 years, and it’s certainly different now than it was a year ago before COVID hit. So, there’s that to consider.
First of all, find your comfort level. Set up your area so it’s as comfortable as you can make it for yourself.
The next thing is focus on priority setting, not time management. Every day or week, whichever is your preference, decide what the first item on your list is that you want to get done, what’s the second, the third, and try to work through those items throughout the day or week.
Something else that I do every day, all day, is I make sure to take breaks at least every 30 or 40 minutes. I go somewhere, I get away from my computer, I do something else. I may call or Zoom with a friend or colleague to have some interactions with people, to just have a chat.
Make sure that you feed yourself well. Stay away from the junk food, it’s not a good thing — you start to feel crappy after a while. Also, every day I try to do some kind of exercise. I get out of the office, go outside, walk around safely (i.e., social distancing), to bring in some variety.
Another thing is to make sure that you set up times when you’re going to work. And, whenever you stop, make sure you turn off your computer, the displays, the whole thing to help disciplining yourself to stay away from the computer. Because what we’re finding with people who are working remotely is that once you start getting bored you go back to your computer and start doing more work.
Finally, make sure you get enough sleep. It’s really important in terms of making sure you keep your energy up.
These are some of the things I do on a regular basis and it seems to be working.
Hopefully this is helpful!
– Dr. Jim
*names have been changed
Optimize your time online with these tips from Vivo Team’s CEO and Founder, Renée Safrata. #managerminute
It’s not fun to have to track people down or be tracked down. Increasing digital visibility among your hybrid team boosts productivity and reduces stress. With a bit of structure and accountability to digital transparency, your team will thrive.
According to our hybrid workforce poll, a whopping 75.9% of respondents are now working remotely at least some of the time (55.2% of respondents are working at home only, while 20.7% are working at home and in the office). That’s why it’s so important to consider the structures and tools available to help your hybrid team succeed!
Visibility into projects can greatly decrease errors and communication breakdowns. Does your team use something like Slack or Microsoft Teams to share information about clients or projects? If not, it’s worth investigating.
At Vivo Team, we share what our priorities are for the day in a Slack channel called daily updates. This can also be accomplished in a quick huddle. Our norm is to set ourselves to “away” if we need to be away from our computer to save our team members the hunt.
If you are sick or on vacation or even unavailable because of meetings, do you have a way to access shared files that your team members are working on? This again can be a huge productivity stuck point for remote teams. Whether it’s an intranet or Google Workspace (formally G-Suite), there are lots of options for increasing file sharing capacities within a team.
At Vivo Team, we have a carefully organized file system in Google Workspace for project files, documents, spread sheets and more that the entire team can access.
If you are working on a remote team, there is a good chance that it will be time-consuming to book a team meeting. By sharing calendars, this time can be greatly decreased. It might be that you only show business times, but that in itself is a huge time-saving.
At Vivo Team, we are able to access all team members calendars so we can easily see when people are available for meetings. Our norm is, if the time is open in my calendar I am available for a meeting. We are able to book team or project meetings without sending a single email!
Our poll indicated that the most used tools are Zoom (69%), Microsoft Teams (48.3%), Google Meet (27.6%) and Slack (20.7%). However, it’s less important what the tool is, the agreement is what is important. If you are in a smaller company who doesn’t have a business communication platform, the team can instead agree to share information in other ways, such as via email or through a huddle.
Has your remote team worked out ways to increase your digital visibility? If not, there’s an opportunity here – establish your norms today and stay accountable!
Suddenly, some or all of your teams are working remotely—many of whom are not experienced doing so! What now?
By agreeing to a set of meeting behaviours, teams increase productivity and engagement significantly. Just because it’s obvious to you doesn’t mean it is to everyone. Get your team on the same page! Here is a video and handout for you to share with your team:
Effectively connect with and be accountable to your team and projects by introducing a D.O.S.E. (Direct Ongoing Swift Encounter)
Efficiently keep everyone on your team in the loop with this tactical, 10-12 minute meet up designed to share information, clarify stuck points, celebrate small wins, and get clear on priorities. Try bi-weekly to start and increase frequency if necessary.
Here is a handout for you to share with your team:
Appreciations, difficulties, and final statements is a technique we use to close down every meeting.
It’s really important to encourage everyone to have a voice and employees, managers and leaders should all participate. Why? Everyone gets the opportunity to say something at the end of the meeting, people can give and receive immediate feedback, everyone has an understanding of how that meeting went, and more. Here is a handout for your team:
More energy, more engagement, and more active listening.
You can shine online! Whether you are a team member, manager or leader, use these guidelines to meaningfully show up for, participate in, or lead your virtual meetings. Here’s a handout to share with your team: