Three Common Disadvantages of Online Meetings – and How to Deal with Them

We’ll be the first to admit that virtual meetings are not always 100% perfect.

While this confession may sound strange from a virtual event producer, the last thing we want to do is sweet talk you like a used car salesman. (“I like you, so I’m gonna make you an offer I’ll probably regret. I’m losing money on this, really.”)

Your virtual meetings and events are important. And you should know exactly what you’re getting into.

After 15 years of working in the virtual and audio business, there’s no one who’s more familiar with the common issues people have with virtual meetings. But our team’s decades’ worth of combined experience makes us an expert on how to overcome them.

• Technical Difficulties
• Zoom Fatigue
• Difficulty Building Relationships
• Security Concerns
• Software Costs
• Communication DIfficulties
• Different Time Zones

Key Takeaway: Virtual meetings have their advantages and disadvantages. But we firmly believe that armed with the proper knowledge, you can minimize or eliminate the disadvantages completely and be left with what makes virtual meetings awesome.

Think of it like gold panning.

• In order to get the gold (the good parts of virtual events) you might need to sort through a little dirt first (the disadvantages of virtual meetings).
• But, just as a panner uses the right equipment to separate what’s valuable from what’s not, by using the right tools and techniques you can work your way through the disadvantages of virtual meetings.
• You’ll then walk away with only the invaluable parts of hybrid and virtual meetings, conferences, and events.

We’ve worked hard to eliminate the headaches that are unique to virtual events. The result? You have a higher quality event and our customers are happier with our service.

Take a look at an honest list of challenges that virtual and hybrid meetings can present as well as realistic ways to deal with them.

1.  Technical Difficulties

The success of virtual meetings is contingent on the stability of the technology that supports them. If the technology fails, your virtual meetings are in deep trouble.

The Cause: Despite living in an era where we can have round-trip communication with people on the moon in less than 3 seconds, poor Wifi connection is still surprisingly common. The issues this causes are all too familiar:

• Lags in voice or video
• Random dropouts of participants
• Screen freezing

Not to mention software compatibility issues and the dreaded “Can everyone hear me?” line.

Technical difficulties gone unchecked are distracting and reduce the effectiveness of virtual meetings, conferences, or events.

2.   Zoom Fatigue

Millions experienced first-hand that virtual fatigue a.k.a. “Zoom fatigue” was a real problem during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Cause: A study done by Microsoft found that feelings of stress and overwork were much higher when collaborating remotely than in-person. That same study found that when it comes to remote work, feelings of stress and overwork are higher in virtual meetings than in non-meeting work, like writing emails.

Microsoft’s study noted that the following factors result in virtual fatigue:

• Prolonged screen time
• Lack of non-verbal communication
• Balancing work with household tasks (for those working from home)
• Struggling to find a dedicated workspace

3.   Difficulty Building Relationships

There are pros and cons in many aspects of being remote, for example, according to research done by RSPH, almost 50% of those surveyed said they felt improvements in their health and well-being working from home.

On the flip side, 67% said they felt less connected with colleagues while working remotely.

The Cause: Virtual meetings can make building and maintaining relationships difficult because we miss the physical cues we would normally get. When we don’t understand another person’s body language it’s more difficult to understand emotions.

Much of our communication is done through non-verbal means and when we don’t communicate well, relationships suffer!

Overcoming the challenges that come with virtual meetings is not impossible! With the right strategy, a little knowledge, and the right team supporting you, you CAN experience all the good of going virtual without the drawbacks.

1.  Mitigate Technical Difficulties

Handling technical difficulties is more than making sure your computer is charged. Virtual meetings have many moving parts that need to be managed.

What You Can Do

Planning goes a LONG way in preventing minor issues from popping up in the first place.

Ask everyone beforehand to review a quick quality checkpoint list:

• Microphone not working – Meeting platforms generally have a mic testing tool built into their software that everyone can use. This check will eliminate the speaker needing to ask “can everyone hear me?” as well as the audience saying “we can’t hear you Tom.”
• Feedback – Ask participants to mute themselves when they are not speaking and join only from one device if possible.
• Speakers not working – As with the microphone, ask participants to use the speaker testing tool built into the meeting software before they log on.
• Weak Connection – Check your connection before the meeting begins. If it’s slow but stable, consider lowering the screen video quality. If it’s unstable, try connecting via an ethernet cable.

How We Can Help

Having a virtual event producer supporting you is like loading a spare tire before a road trip. It’s a lifesaver when things don’t go as planned.

Once we know your mission, our technology consultants take over analyzing the network for access and speed. Then we set up necessary devices, hardware, software, and other supplies to make sure everything is in place.

Once you go live, we’re there behind the scenes making sure everything goes smoothly, squashing any technical issues that may arise.

 2. Prevent Zoom Fatigue

Zoom fatigue sets in about 30-40 minutes into a meeting. And stress begins to set in at about the 2nd hour of the days that are filled with meetings.

What You Can Do

• To help with this, Microsoft recommends taking screen breaks every 2 hours and limiting meetings to less than 30 minutes whenever possible.
• Software has also been developed to create more human connections. For example, Microsoft has created a Together mode and a Dynamic view. Implementing these can make virtual meetings feel more natural.

How We Can Help

 Virtual Velocity knows the importance of keeping attendees focused and interested in your virtual meeting, conference, or event. Our 15+ years of knowledge in the virtual space equals results that make your attendees excited to log on.

We can offer the best tips to increase participant satisfaction as well as implement creative strategies to get participants more comfortable and less stressed.

3.   Build Lasting Relationships

Understanding the reasons WHY relationships are difficult to build in virtual meetings is key to overcoming this barrier. You need to actively work to establish clear communication between attendees.

What You Can Do

• Expert Shayla Price recommends this: “Ask for clarification. It’s important to overcommunicate during virtual meetings. That may involve giving examples and analogies to explain complex concepts.”
• Try implementing different techniques to build relationships. For example, gamification is a proven way to build a strong communal sense of togetherness and purpose.

How We Can Help

Our team of experts has been around way before the pandemic. We have learned the most effective way to build relationships despite the barrier of a screen. And we have seen that IT IS POSSIBLE to connect teams if you use the right approach.

Creating avenues for communication and effective collaboration is essential. We use strategies such as virtual office parties, virtual happy hour, and games to bring the human feel into the virtual space.

You’d be surprised how far these efforts go in making your team feel more connected.

If you’re experiencing any of these challenges, you’re not alone. Many have successfully overcome these challenges and others such as:

• Security concerns
• Paying for software
• Difficulty communicating
• Dealing with different time zones

The truth is virtual meetings, conferences, and events are worth the effort. With the right tools in place, you can work through the issues and experience a high-quality virtual event.

Will you let us help you? We’ve helped thousands take their virtual meeting to the next level. Reach out to us for a free conversation to see what strategies we suggest you use to make your next virtual meeting a success.