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On meeting exhaustion: Having hosted speakers for about 13 years on webinars, I know that speaking to an online audience is especially exhausting for first timers.
I don't believe it has anything to do with video. Most of the webinars I host don't use video. 1/n
I don't believe it has anything to do with video. Most of the webinars I host don't use video. 1/n
Rather, I believe that it's to do with what what is (at first brush) *missing* from our experience. I think that we are trying to see and hear what the other people in the room are doing and failing. Having failed, we then automatically try again, and again find nothing. 2/n
We live our lives looking for these clues, it's almost certainly part of who we are as humans. When we can't find them, it's exhausting.
Over time, however, it does become less exhausting, as we find online substitutes for the physical clues we are used to. 3/n
Over time, however, it does become less exhausting, as we find online substitutes for the physical clues we are used to. 3/n
At a simple level, this may be reading people's responses and thoughts in real time in a chat window and gauging who has said what, with what explicit and implicit meaning. Who's missing from the chat?
This is a simple example of Steve Woods' idea of 'Digital Body Language'. 4/n
This is a simple example of Steve Woods' idea of 'Digital Body Language'. 4/n
Eventually, with experience, we come to understand what the social clues are in this new environment, we begin to pick up on them automatically, and online interaction becomes less exhausting. 5/n
NB: This is my interpretation, based on hosting speakers in one type of event (webinars). I have hosted at least 500 of these since 2007.
This interpretation may be flawed and may not apply to meetings or other events. I would love to see any scientific studies into this. 6/end
This interpretation may be flawed and may not apply to meetings or other events. I would love to see any scientific studies into this. 6/end
