In the absence of in-person opportunities, how we engage with others in a virtual environment is the primary driver of our relationships, professional or otherwise. “My team and I are constantly interrupting each other, and it’s embarrassing when we do it in front of our clients.”Īs I wrote in an earlier HBR article, our leadership readiness is measured in part by our willingness to speak up in meetings. “How do I speak up in a virtual meeting? How do my team and I keep from talking over each other?Īnd it could be costing your company revenue, as this anecdote from one of our clients shows: In our virtual leadership communication workshops, we are hearing the same questions from clients, regardless of whether they work at small nonprofits or global Fortune 50 companies: In the results of our recent benchmarking survey, we found that people are giving fewer presentations due to the pandemic, but they are speaking more than ever in virtual meetings. Now that we’ve (for the most part) solved the technical challenges of finding the “mute” button and learning how to share our slides (but not our desktops), we are confronted with the more adaptive challenge of leading an effective and efficient virtual meeting. As more people return to in-person encounters, the hybrid meeting will follow suit. As companies of all sizes grapple with how and when to return to a physical office, it’s clear that virtual meetings are here to stay, with all the challenges and pet peeves that come with them.

Zoom call in to other conference