In the past year we’ve celebrated drive-by graduations from the safety of our cars and shared meals in make-shift plastic igloos in restaurant parking lots. We’ve adopted video conferencing for such diverse purposes as doctor’s visits, wine tastings, family holiday gatherings and worship services. And the COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed the way we gather for school and work. How long these measures will be required is unknown, but what is clear is that some of the changes in how we meet and gather are here to stay.
With the shift to remote work, we are working longer days and we are having more meetings each day, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, but those meetings are now, on average, 20.1 percent shorter. The average number of meetings per person has increased 12.9 percent while the average length of meetings has dropped from one hour to about 48 minutes. The report speculates that the shortening of meetings is related to the distractions of the remote work environment and the changing function of meetings.
Our attention spans are being taxed, whether from internet outages and audio echoes, a neighbor’s leaf blower or a child’s question about fractions. Being physically removed from our colleagues has also led us to add more “bite-sized” meetings that weren’t necessary previously, for checking-in with managers and connecting with teammates.
Even after the pandemic subsides, many companies are planning to keep the remote workforce model and others will allow some portion of their employees to work from home occasionally. And companies that now recognize the value of online communication may replace some portion of expensive business travel with video meetings. Daily business meetings are likely to continue to be held online to accommodate workers in different locations, and meeting facilities will need to adapt to become productive working spaces for both the people in the room and those joining via video.
Hiring and onboarding are examples of other processes that rely on meetings, from interviews and contract negotiations to meeting the team and getting familiar with the work. I personally experienced the remote work environment in this context a few months ago. After interviewing over Microsoft Teams and starting the job in mid-November, I have yet to meet any of my colleagues in person. However, through daily team “virtual standup” meetings, and regular check-ins with my manager over Teams, I am quickly feeling like part of the group.
Client meetings are also held over video, allowing me to establish rapport and get up to speed with my accounts. Recorded meetings and on-demand video trainings, specifically the search function available through Panopto (our client), have allowed me to revisit material as needed and review new recordings at my own pace. The effectiveness and efficiency of these flexible tools will likely make asynchronous meetings and video a mainstay of onboarding into the future.
Not only has the pandemic influenced the way we hold smaller, regular meetings and gatherings, but large business gatherings, like conferences and trade shows, have had to adjust their format as well. Following cancellations and indefinite postponements, the industry has reimagined meetings and events with enhanced virtual capabilities, and, with a larger potential audience due to the eliminated travel expense, are equipped to accommodate increased attendance in a digital-only environment.
Even the internationally known Consumer Electronics Show (CES) will be held entirely online this year. As the show’s organizer Consumer Technology Association states, it will be “an all-digital experience connecting exhibitors, customers, thought leaders and media from around the world.”
Registrants will have access to the keynote addresses, virtual tradeshow and a variety of sessions via a video conference or stream. And as with similar events in the new environment, participants will be able to pick and choose sessions to stream or watch recordings on-demand.
Meeting planners expect that even after in-person conferences return, many will offer a hybrid between virtual and in-person experiences to meet the demand. Some people will continue to travel for meetings, especially when a conference is in a desirable location, but some won’t.
Whether for safety or cost concerns or because they feel travel is not a productive use of their time, some participants will choose to attend remotely. Networking and exhibitor demos remain a significant challenge for remote conferences and events but shows like CES will continue to provide the blueprint for innovative solutions to bridge the gap between virtual and in-person attendance experiences.
As we imagine our lives after the pandemic, it is tempting to wish for bygone days, but our world will never be the same. What we can hope is that we take the best of what our ingenuity has created in these challenging times and use that to enhance our future. The ways we’ve leveraged technology and reimagined meetings have the potential to make our future brighter and more productive.