Work From Home: Socially Distant and Virtually Fatigued
We’re a culture that loves a good detox. We compulsively seek out new things to consume, but we may get more joy from chasing the cleanse.
We’re early adopters, willing consumers, and reliable repenters.
Right now, we’re seeing this adoption-consumption-detox cycle unfold in real time around one aspect of our work lives. It’s become known by the catchy shorthand: “Zoom Fatigue.”
Zoom Fatigue has emerged as one of the top occupational hazards for professionals over the past few months. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, Zoom Fatigue refers to the exhaustion you feel from extensive video conferencing.
WHAT’S BEHIND THE FATIGUE?
Early reports during social distancing indicate that Zoom Fatigue is real. Several credible publications including the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and the BBC have issued warnings that overreliance on video conferencing takes a toll on participants and that companies should find a way to manage the impact.
A few of the effects of replacing face-to-face interactions with video conferences are:
A false sense of connectedness: Gianpiero Petriglieri, a professor of organizational behavior interviewed by the BBC discusses how video conferences drive a disconnect between mind and body: “Our minds are together when our bodies feel we're not. That dissonance, which causes people to have conflicting feelings, is exhausting. You cannot relax into the conversation naturally.”
Empty calorie interactions: On a similar point, Sheryl Brahnam, an IT and cybersecurity professor quoted in The New York Times describes the sluggish feeling you might experience if you’re parked in front of a webcam: “In-person communication resembles video conferencing about as much as a real blueberry muffin resembles a packaged blueberry muffin that contains not a single blueberry but artificial flavors, textures and preservatives. You eat too many, and you’re not going to feel very good.”
Video conferences are mini-performances: Each video conference brings with it pressure to perform. Maria Shuffler, an associate professor of industrial and organizational psychology interviewed by the BBC said: “When you're on a video conference, you know everybody's looking at you; you are on stage, so there comes the social pressure and feeling like you need to perform. Being performative is nerve-wracking and more stressful.”
Normal etiquette doesn’t apply: The WSJ article highlights a different type of stressor. During social distancing, friends and colleagues know that you can’t leave your house freely which makes dodging invitations harder. As one person interviewed by the WSJ said: "You can't say 'I really need a night at home.’”
DELAYED FEEDBACK ACCELERATES YOUR STRESS
Experts also almost universally identify the noticeable lag in audio and visual feedback during video conferences as a factor that contributes to fatigue.
While the different stressors cited in the research may play out in separate areas of a user’s experience, they are cumulative in their impact. For most other types of work stress, at least you have a chance to take things one at a time. For video conferencing, the stress on your faculties hits you all at once.
In other words, it adds up.
FACE-TO-FACE DOESN’T MEAN WHAT IT USED TO
It’s useful to understand how video conferencing can overtax our faculties.
However, as in any period of crisis, cultivating perspective is key to moving forward in a healthy way.
In many ways, video conferencing technology has served as a lifeline during social distancing. If you need to have a face-to-face with a client or have a collaborative discussion with your team, at least you have the option to “look them in the eye.” And it’s nice to have the option.
Beyond simply bridging the gap during social distancing, there’s mounting evidence that a shift towards remote work and effective virtual collaboration can result in meaningful benefits beyond the current period of social distancing. There’s predictable buzz around the advantages of cutting out commutes, but there are also reports that productivity has increased in some instances during social distancing because of fewer distractions from co-workers and fewer meetings.
OPT-OUT? LEAN IN? OR STRIVE FOR BALANCE?
We’ve seen some of the benefits of video conferencing and remote work and we’ve seen some of the potential pitfalls.
If we’re truly in the early stages of an adoption-consumption-detox cycle with respect to remote collaboration as we’ve seen for other fast-spreading ‘trends’, we may have an opportunity to learn from past experience.
A lesson that I keep coming back to is that when making changes that have the potential to alter our lifestyle, we could save ourselves a lot of trouble if we’re able to maintain or even improve balance. With respect to something as foundational as changing the way we work, it’s important that we think about balance from the outset.
Without a focus on balance, especially with respect to remote work, a large portion of our workforce is likely to hit a wall.
In this context, it’s the right time for teams to start thinking about creating a more holistic and sustainable approach to virtual collaboration.
SIMPLIFY WHAT YOU CAN
“Simple can be harder than complex; you have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”
That’s Steve Jobs talking about simplicity in product design. In my experience, this line of thinking works just as well in the context workplace collaboration.
In a team environment, getting your collective “thinking clean” can be a game changer. If you simplify and clarify the rules of the game, you take out some the guesswork of working with other people. This frees up valuable resources that your team can otherwise devote to solving problems and pursuing innovation.
ZOOM FATIGUE: REVISITING THE SELF-ASSESSMENT
If Zoom Fatigue, or any other aspect of virtual collaboration, is becoming a challenge for your team you should take the opportunity to start a conversation with your team on how to “think clean” and simplify your team's approach to collaborating.
I recommend using a self-assessment to get the dialogue started.
The self-assessment is a simple approach I mentioned in my post on April 29. You can use it to identify your (and your team’s) preferences, strengths, weaknesses, and potential biases around an aspect of work. I find that self-assessments work best if each member of a team completes an assessment and the team gets together to discuss responses.
A concrete aspect of workplace collaboration, like optimal video conference use, can be a good place for you to understand what works for your team and what doesn’t.
Here are a few examples of questions you might ask yourself and your team:
What aspects of your work rely most heavily on in-person interaction? Why is it important to conduct these interactions in-person?
Which interactions make you feel more engaged at work? Think of discussions that made you feel more connected to your work, your team, or your organization.
Which interactions help you focus your work activities? Do daily check-ins help you plan for the day? Are weekly check-ins better for your work?
List a few interactions you enjoy having at work. Think of interactions like brainstorming meetings, discussions with people on your team or in a different department, presentations, company-wide meetings, etc. For the time-being exclude at-work social interactions like coffee breaks or happy hours.
Are there types of meetings that you want to attend but prefer to be a listener rather than an active participant? List them.
Are there meetings you prefer not to attend at all? Why do you want to sit them out?
As you’ll see from the questions above, the approach is not complex. The effort comes when you brainstorm solutions, test possible approaches, and build consensus.
GIVE IT A TRY
During this period of extreme uncertainty, a measure of clarity has emerged around the reality that remote work is here to stay. In light of this reality, it's important that companies take a holistic view on how best to manage their workforce in the new environment.
A self-assessment can be the first step in creating a holistic and sustainable approach to management. The important thing is to put some initial thought into your approach and get started. Come up with a version of the self-assessment that works for you and your team and once you’re ready for a team discussion, make sure you take time to acknowledge nuances, develop consensus across your team, and outline a response.
I guarantee that simply completing responses and getting together to discuss them will start a dialogue that you and your team will find worthwhile.
STAY TUNED…
In my next post, I’ll share some examples of how teams I’ve worked with have used self-assessments and how they’ve experienced improvements in their approach to collaboration.
In the meantime, give us a call or reach out to us at info@aveirosc.com as you go through the self-assessment process!
