Reign in Video-call Ramblers
Remember when videoconferencing software was a nice-to-have? Oh, how times have changed. Such technology has become a lifeline for British workers, many of whom had never even heard of Zoom or Google Meet just a few weeks ago—and it shows. As is the case with most things in life, practice makes perfect, but only if you’re aware of the pitfalls.
To make your virtual meetings as productive as possible, start by reigning in the ramblers. Discussions that turn into digressions aren’t unique to videoconferences, but they’re a lot harder to get a handle on when you’re remote. Regain control of the conversation by taking one of these three steps:
1. Ask the speaker to summarize his or her point for the meeting notes.
2. Ask the speakers to continue their conversation offline.
3. Establish a subtle signal (think, a hand raise) that participants can use if and when they feel the discussion is getting off track.
