May I see your licence?

The polite, but loaded, request from a police officer at your window that makes you sit up straight and behave. If you’re like a friend of mine, you might also be frantically searching the glovebox for your licence.

Last week, I compared the global transition to our online ‘new normal’ with the advent of cars. We got used to cars, but if we want to drive one, we need a licence. Every day, someone is learning to drive, sharing the road with people on their provisional licence, a full licence and sometimes, driving without one. 

If online working was already part of your culture, you are probably on the equivalent of a full driving licence. ‘Got my blacks’ was a coming-of-age milestone for young drivers where I grew up in Sydney. 

But just because we have been driving for years, doesn’t make us good drivers. Accidents happen and sometimes, we lose points off our licence. 

I reckon a good driver is one who can teach others. My Dad loves his cars and we learned all about defensive driving from the back seat. But it was mum who had the patience – and courage – to teach us.

It’s been a feature of the current transition that we’ve mostly tolerated people adjusting to unfamiliar technology. But as the months passed, I’ve seen people lose their patience with colleagues in meetings or participants in workshops. I’ve also been on the receiving end. Have you? We blush, get flustered and feel like an idiot.  

‘YOU’RE ON MUTE!” they yell, or mouth, at the polite person who has followed etiquette and kept themselves muted before contributing to the discussion. Sighs and groans when they lose the chat box, can’t share a screen or can’t find the link to get to the collaboration tool.  

No matter how many months we are into this transition, mistakes will happen. The most common mistakes and problems with online meetings fall into four broad groups.

1.    Purpose
2.    Adjusting to new technology
3.    Communication
4.    Etiquette

More about these below.

First, a word about the unlicensed drivers. From what I’ve seen, there are quite a few people who are driving online meetings ‘unlicensed’. 

So far, I haven’t heard of anyone who has had their licence to chair or facilitate online meetings suspended, but I have seen the reins quietly taken from them by a more experienced driver. 

Someone who still has the patience to do the inevitable teaching needed as people log in five minutes before the meeting. There will always be one. Particularly when we’re meeting with stakeholders and community members outside of the professional realm. 

It’s not their fault. We all learn at different stages and at different speeds.

That is why we will not all have black licences at the same time. There will always be those starting out, those getting used to it and those who should probably stop driving. 

We have to accommodate all on the roads. Just like we have to accommodate all stages of experience in our online meetings and workshops.

If you want to find out what some of the problems fall under in the four broad categories I talked about above, common mistakes and problems with online meetings fall into four broad groups.

1. Download my e-book Hum: double engagement and productivity of your next online meeting. It’s an illustrated business book with practical and easy-to-use tips and tricks to get your meetings humming. Click here. 

Some of the problems with online meetings are easier to fix than others. Others are harder. Whenever you are ready:
 
2. Work with me 1:1 If you would like help with the harder problems, my Get Humming program can help.  Email me with the word “HUM” in the subject line. We’ll make a time to meet and see which of my programs would be a good fit for you.