These extra video calls are leading to meeting fatigue and it’s draining employees’ energy. Video calls are important and have their place, but they also force us to focus more on conversations in order to absorb information. This video offers managers tips for helping their employees fight video meeting fatigue.

Other videos in this series:

• Course introduction
• Interpreting nonverbal communication cues
• Communicating the importance of time off
• Promoting wellness and self-care 

Video Transcription: Managing Remote Teams’ Mental Health | Reducing Virtual Meeting Overload

[Narrator] Are you dreading another video work meeting? Do you wish you could just call in to a meeting like the good old days? Are you tired at the end of the day from attending multiple video calls?
Well, you might be experiencing video conferencing fatigue. Yes, it’s a thing. A real thing.

These days, we’ve not only been video conferencing for work, but also for maintaining connections with family and friends. That’s a lot of video chatting!

Employee: I just got off my 3rd video meeting today. The thing that gets me about these video calls is maintaining constant eye contact. And you need to overly express yourself so the person can see your reactions. If you look away, it looks like you aren’t paying attention. It’s exhausting to pay that close attention on video calls multiple times a day!

[Narrator] Meeting overload was around even before the coronavirus pandemic. Over one-quarter (26%) of professionals think meetings are unproductive or unnecessary, with nearly half (48%) of managers saying there are more meetings than required in a week.

So what can managers do to help their teams ease the pain of video conferencing fatigue?

[Manager] I know most of you have been participating in many video meetings these days. I wanted to talk to you about some tips I have for managing video conferencing fatigue.

• Avoid multitasking and stay present. It’s easy to get distracted by instant messaging or emails but staying present will limit the amount of energy used during the calls. Multitasking can cost you as much as 40 percent of your productive time!
• Take breaks! On long calls, while you are listening, turn off your camera at times to give your eyes a break from trying to read everyone’s facial expressions.
• Take the meeting on a walk using your phone instead! Walking meetings are known to improve creativity, and probably reduce stress!

[Narrator] Do what you can to support video breaks to help reduce video conferencing fatigue. Encourage your employees to make the best decision for their mental health!

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During any kind of stressful time, and now when people may feel lucky to have a job, employees might find it more difficult to request time away. But it’s important to take a break. Time away improves mental clarity, productivity, and focus. When your employees are recharged, it leads to better outcomes for them and better outcomes for the company.

Other videos in this series:

• Course introduction
• Interpreting nonverbal communication cues
• Reducing virtual meeting overload
• Promoting wellness and self-care 

Video Transcription: Managing Remote Teams’ Mental Health | Encouraging PTO to Recharge

[Narrator] Paid Time Off or PTO gives people time to relax and recharge, leading to a more enjoyable and productive work environment for everyone. In these unprecedented times, however, taking time off may not seem like a priority or it may even feel like a huge ask.
Since our offices are now in our homes and kids are being homeschooled, leaving work behind is more challenging than ever. In fact, one in five Americans feel their company shames employees who take allotted vacation time.

So, what can managers do to support their teams in taking PTO?

Lead by example! Leadership can encourage employees to be intentional about their self-care while working remotely and take time off to unplug and recharge. Whether it’s to work on a home project, read a book, or go for a long walk, even small breaks from work can make a significant difference in your energy and stress levels.

[CEO] Here at BusCorpCo, we’re firm believers in the importance of taking PTO, especially during these stressful times. It’s important to recognize the need to take a break from work, even if it’s just for a day. Our PTO policy is in place for this very reason.

Personally, I’m going to take 2 days off next week to unplug and recharge. Even though we are unable to take a regular vacation right now, I plan to sleep in, exercise, and read during my time off, if my kids let me. Work with your managers to get your PTO scheduled and don’t forget to plan for the remainder of the year. Your managers will be setting up 1:1s to review your PTO schedule soon.

[Manager] You’ve been working so hard lately, you deserve some time off!” I noticed you haven’t used any PTO this year. I want to make sure you feel comfortable taking time off and know how to request it.

[Narrator] Your organization has a PTO policy for a reason. Positive reinforcement is the key to letting people know they can use their PTO.

As a manager, take note of employees who don’t take time off and let them know it’s ok to do so.

Let’s make the most of things and allow vacation days to serve their purpose – to refresh employees and provide a space to get away from the stress of day-to-day work. Let your teams know it’s more important now than ever before to rest and recover.

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Video Transcription: Conference Call Etiquette

We are all likely involved in more conference calls these days. But conference calls can be clunky, awkward, and inefficient if the participants don’t follow some best practices. Lucky for you, we’ve put together some guidelines so that you and your co-participants can enjoy successful, problem-free conference calls.

Calling in a few minutes ahead of time is a good practice. It’s better to wait for other people to show up on time than for them to wait for you to show up late. The meeting organizer should supply an agenda before the call begins and should lead the call by keeping people on schedule and on topic. Save specialized conversations for another time.

Make sure to mute the microphone when you’re not speaking to prevent background noises from coming through. Try to conduct your call from a room that is free from background distractions. And if noise will be an issue, be upfront about it at the beginning of the call.

It’s not always easy for people on the call to identify you based on your voice alone. Be sure to state your name before speaking or have someone on the call introduce you before you begin. Most small microphones aren’t known for their superior audio quality. So be sure to sit close to your phone or computer and speak loudly and clearly.

It can be hard to know when to speak up on larger conference calls. To avoid participants all talking at the same time, the organizer should leave space between topics and ask if anyone has comments or questions. Before ending the call, the organizer should recap everything that was accomplished. If there are any action items, these should also be reiterated.

Lastly, sign off with a goodbye. Don’t just hang up and leave the remaining people on the call in a strange silence, unsure if the call has ended or not. With these tips, you’ll be sure to have the smoothest and most successful conference calls yet.

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Video Transcription: Excelling at Work From Home

Working from home has its perks, but it also has its challenges. Let’s go over some tips to ensure you excel at working from home.

• Keeping a normal routine is key to staying productive while working at home. Try to wake up around the same time each morning, get ready for the day even if you don’t plan on leaving home.
• Take normal breaks and a lunch just like you would in the office.
• Make yourself available at the same time as your teammates. This is especially important when working on projects that require collaboration and open lines of communication.
• Having digital face-to-face communication with co-workers helps people feel connected with their team and the work they do together.
• It’s also good to keep weekly one-on-one meetings to check-in and connect on work and life.
• Create a space for normal conversation with your teammates whether it be in a Slack channel or a weekly meeting via video call. Having digital water cooler conversations can boost camaraderie and even generate great ideas.
• Perhaps one of the most important things to have is a way for everyone to submit work, receive feedback, and get approvals. Long email chains are not the place for this. Instead, use one of the many task management applications available to track and streamline the work your team is doing.
• Each person on your team was hired for a reason—because they’re good at what they do. Trusting that they will accomplish tasks on their own while working from home is crucial to a productive work-from-home environment.

While the tips in this video are not an end-all solution, they are a great start to forming productive habits and excelling at working from home.

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Video Transcription: How to Stay Sane During Home Isolation

Humans are social creatures. So, as you might be realizing, staying indoors for an extended period of time can lead to boredom and stir craziness. Here are some ways you can maintain your sanity during home isolation. Do something creative. Painting, drawing playing an instrument, you have so many options here.

Keep a routine. Whether based around your work schedule meals or something else, the structure is helpful. Use this time to learn something new. You’ll have a sense of accomplishment taking on a new endeavor. Stay connected with friends and family by having virtual hangouts. Just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean you can’t socialize. Practice self-care. Exercise, meditate, eat healthy foods. Carve out time to do what makes you feel good.

Complete all those home projects you’ve been putting on the back burner. It’ll feel good checking these items off your list. This is also an excellent time to organize virtual files. By all means, stay up to date with the news, but stick to reliable sources and don’t go overboard. Limit your intake as it can get pretty overwhelming.

Finally, if necessary, seek help from a licensed mental health professional. This can be a difficult time, And it’s important to focus on your overall well-being as best as you can.

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Video Transcription: Remote Team Training. Tips for Remote Managers

Managing requires a skill set all its own. And managing remotely is no exception. Challenges can range from a lack of face-to-face interaction, to trust issues, and in some cases, to employees feeling their manager is out of touch with their needs. Let’s go over some tips on how to be a great remote manager.

Make yourself available at the same time as your direct reports. This is extremely important as it allows you to have an open line of communication and enables you to ask and answer questions regarding tasks and projects without delay. The last thing you want is for your team to feel like giving or receiving information about a project is harder than it should be.

Different ways of communicating are necessary as there is no one size fits all solution. Time-sensitive questions or casual conversations are better suited for messaging applications where people can respond quickly and effortlessly. Email is better for sending larger chunks of information all at once, where it can be easier to archive or search for the information later. And lastly, more important or sensitive conversations are best over video calls which feel more personal than text or audio-only conversations.

Having digital face-to-face communication with your team is also important as feelings of loneliness and social isolation from their organization are some of the most common complaints of remote workers. To help counter that as a manager, you should hold weekly video calls with your direct reports, whether it be one on ones, or a team call to check-in and connect on both work and life.

Each person on your team was likely hired for being talented at what they do. As it is important to set expectations about when and how work should be done, allowing them to accomplish tasks on their own without constantly checking on progress is crucial to building a strong and trusting relationship with your direct reports.

It’s important as a manager that you offer encouragement and emotional support. If you see that someone is struggling with their work or even acting differently, don’t be afraid to reach out. Even asking a simple question like, “how is this remote work situation working out for you?” can reveal a lot of information to help you better support your team members.

The tips in this video are a great starting point for people managing a remote team. But the most important thing to do is try different solutions and find out what works best for you and your team.

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As we’ve been spending the last who knows how many days working from home. Many of us have been wondering “when will we return to the office?” And when we do, what will that look like? While we don’t have a date set for our return to the office, we have developed a set of guidelines following the California state COVID-19 industry guidance for office workspaces.

We’re going to do everything in our power to create a safe and secure workplace for us all. This means the post-COVID-19 office you come to will be a very different place from the one you remember. But that will be for the best. What will our office look like?

Well, first of all, it might be quite empty. Although the office may technically be open, if it isn’t essential for you to come in, we still encourage you to telework. For those of us returning to the workplace, here are some of the key steps the company is taking to ensure your safety.

We are redesigning the workspace to allow for a minimum of six feet of spacing between people. This means, for example, that a typical meeting room will only hold 50% of its normal capacity. We’re also planning alternating work shifts to minimize the density of employees in the office at any given time.

Finally, we’ve arranged to increase the frequency of our cleanings and created guidelines for the sanitation of high-touch surfaces. We’ll also be asking you to do some things; take daily temperature and symptom screenings upon arrival at the office, wear proper face covering, avoid handshakes, regularly disinfect your own work areas with provided supplies, take regular safety trainings.

If you are feeling at all unwell, notify your manager and do not come into the office. For a more detailed list of anticipated changes, please visit our worksite plan. Together we can build a safe workplace for everyone.

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At :30 the main character is shown in profile. This image was created entirely with shapes in Vyond.

Video Transcription: How to Properly Wear a Mask

Wearing a face mask can help protect against viruses but it’s important to know how to properly wear one. Before putting a mask on, start by washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.

Time to put on the mask. Make sure you have the mask right side up. Many masks have a stiff, bendable edge at the top that can be curved to contour your nose. Now, holding the mask by the straps, lift it to your face and bring the straps around either your ears or the back of your head depending on the type of mask. If your mask has a bendable top edge, go ahead and pinch it now to contour it to your nose. The mask should fit from above the tip of your nose to just below your chin. While wearing, avoid touching your face or mask with your hands so that you don’t contaminate anything. And do not lower the mask below your nose or mouth.

To properly remove the mask, once again, wash or sanitize your hands. Then holding the mask by the straps, pull it away from your face. Do not touch the external surface of the mask as it may be contaminated. Single-use masks should be thrown away, while the reusable masks should be washed immediately. Lastly, wash those hands one more time. Follow these tips to make your mask as effective as possible.

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Working from home for long hours throughout the day can be a challenging adjustment for some. Experiencing discomfort, strain, or pain can easily lead to a lack of motivation to work. Here are some tips to help you create an ergonomic workspace from your home.

Avoid the temptation to work from your couch or bed. Laying in bed while working may indicate to your body that it’s time to nap. Instead, find a good flat table or desk space to keep your places of comfort and relaxation separate from your workspaces. Find a comfortable seat that encourages good posture. Your chair should have solid back support and ideally lumbar support. You can also add a small pillow to support your lower back.

Make sure your shoulders are relaxed and not hunched. And ensure the height of the chair allows your feet to touch the floor comfortably, and that your legs are bent at a 90-degree angle. Adjust your monitor height to your eye level, and position at about one arm’s length away. Keeping the center of your computer monitor eye level ensures you don’t strain your neck or eyes. If you work with a laptop, you can use a stand or even a stack of books to raise your computer to an appropriate level.

Having a mouse and keyboard in this case will be necessary. Be sure to place them both on the same surface and at a height that allows you to keep your wrist straight, your upper arms close to your body, and your hands at or slightly below the level of your elbows. Optimizing your home workspace will help you have a productive workday. And your body will thank you in the long run.

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