Zoom fatigue is real; but it doesn’t have to be. This series of questions – along with the unique features of Nynja – can help make virtual meetings blissful:

1) Is it necessary? With the ease of setting a virtual meeting, many meetings occur unnecessarily.

Steer clear of this professional pitfall by examining the question of whether a meeting is truly needed – or, if your goal can be accomplished another way. You can use Nynja for a direct voice or message exchange to save valuable time and energy. 

 2) How long should it be? While we typically default to an hour for most virtual meeting invites, many meetings can be completed in far less time. Avoid filling the remaining air time with superfluous chatter by thinking through the meeting outcomes and defining (and including) an agenda before you hit send. 

• Reserve a few minutes for introductions (in the case participants are meeting for the first time) and to lay out the meeting context, agenda, and purpose. Give everyone a moment to weigh in to ensure alignment. 

• Identify discussion items and allocate 5-15 minutes for each, depending on complexity. Be clear about what information is needed, and get ready for a subject change if the conversation turns into a cul-de-sac.

• Spend the last 5 or so minutes recapping takeaways and action items – including who’s doing what. In a larger group, this might require that you set roles in advance, such as a facilitator and notetaker.

3) Audio or video? While many of us benefited from the face-to-face interaction of video meetings during the pandemic, they may no longer be the best way to proceed. In fact, a 2021 American Psychological Association study revealed that turning off your camera may result in meetings that are more productive and less draining.

For regular check-ins, take advantage of Nynja’s default setting of audio-only (formerly known as the conference call) and make video optional. For meetings that require a higher level of engagement, ask participants to go video on – especially when they are speaking and during group discussion. 

Now that the hard part is done, you can get to scheduling your virtual meeting (or not). The NYNJA meeting function streamlines scheduling, and automatically calls participants at the allotted time. Exploring these three questions in advance shows you value their time – making them more likely to answer.