Zoning Out During Zooms? Here's What to Do

​We’ve all been guilty. Ten minutes after logging in to a Zoom meeting our mind begins to wander. Our attention turns to our in-box, our curious dog, or what time dinner is coming out of the oven. Chalk it up to the Ringelmann Effect. When French architectural engineer Max Ringelmann asked a team of people to pull on a rope, and then asked individuals — separately — to pull on the same rope, he noticed that when people worked as individuals, they put in more effort. The bigger the group, the less responsibility each individual feels. In virtual meetings—especially large ones—the Ringelmann effect is magnified.
 
So, the success of virtual meetings depends on listener participation. Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Sarah Gershman, professor at the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and president of Green Room Speakers, offers tips for staying focused:

• Define your value ahead of time: Identify beforehand what you will contribute and/or learn from the call. For contributions, have your points, reasons, and examples ready.
• Acknowledge previous speakers: Before raising a topic, reiterate what you just heard—even asking the speaker whether you’ve characterized their point correctly. People are more likely to listen to you if they first feel heard.
• Connect the dots: Reflect on what you've heard to move the conversation forward. For example, “I’ve heard several people say the client seems impatient. I wonder if anyone has thoughts about why this impatience is occurring now?”
• Note distracting thoughts: When your mind wanders, try jotting down the distracting thought on a pad. This allows you to put the thought “somewhere” so that you can return to it after.

 
How did you handle the situation the last time your attention wandered during a virtual meeting? Any tips to share? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

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