Embrace videos
I was in a video call with 57 people ranging from the sales and business development team.
The video call lasted 1h30, it was a presentation of the results of the quarter. Country managers intervened after the initial speech of the main manager illustrating their achievements and what could have been improved. People were reading the slides.
So I asked myself: what if these 57 salespeople would actually use this time to sell?
In order for us to achieve this, we need to embrace a more asynchronous organisation. This does not mean no more meetings, but we shall reduce the ones we can avoid.
Limitations of a video call
Even if video calls and plenary meetings have the value of erasing geographic barriers, and reuniting a whole company in a single screen, video calls present shortcomings for specific situations.
Such as:
A video call represents a limited amount of time (i.e. 1h30) and hence forces everyone to be present on that day at that time, when maybe they could have had better things to do (i.e. selling)
Even if the number is virtually unlimited, there is a maximum amount of people that can sit on a video call
Hybrid calls are annoying
If in a plenary video call multiple people are in the same room, then they need to share the same equipment.
The following problems arise for remote participants:
Can’t hear the people in the room well
Background noise since the microphone of the sharing people is on all the time
Can’t clearly see facial expressions since each face takes up only a small part of the screen
Can’t easily see who is talking since the screen shows multiple people
Hard getting a word in since the people in the room are advantaged to speak
The people sharing equipment also have problems because they don’t have their own equipment:
Can’t screen share something themselves
Trouble seeing details in screen sharing since the screen is further away from them
Can’t scroll through a slide deck at their own pace
The disadvantages for remote people are much greater than for the sharing people and hard to notice for the sharing people.
Solution
When giving updates, we need to embrace a video-recording based culture to allow everyone to benefit from the content in the time and place of their choice.
Benefits of video recording
Host(s) can speak uninterrupted
By adopting video recordings for company-wide updates, the person presenting can share their insights, news, and announcements in a streamlined manner.
This approach cuts down on the distractions and breaks in the flow that often come with live sessions, ensuring the core message is communicated effectively and clearly.
The advantage of being asynchronous
The shift towards video-recorded updates embraces the diverse schedules and time zones of a modern workforce, offering a significant advantage: flexibility.
Employees can watch these updates when they fit their schedule, making sure nobody misses out on vital information due to conflicting agendas.
Go 2x Speed
An added benefit of video-recorded updates is the control it gives viewers over how quickly they consume the content. For those who prefer a quick catch-up, speeding up the video to 2x allows them to get the gist in half the time.
Recording
Videos can be stored and accessed later, making it easy for anyone to catch up or refresh their memory on company updates.
Recording allows for meticulous preparation and editing, ensuring the message is polished, precise, and tailored to meet the audience's needs, further enhancing the quality of communication within the company.
Q&A
What about “live” questions? With a video recording I cannot do a live Q&A session.
We shall not advocate of eliminating video calls. Rather, we shall use the time when we are together in the most productive way possible. This is the reason why, a call of 57 people of 1h30 can be substituted by:
the sharing of a video-recording of the presentation (the “reading the slides”)
a 30 min (2/3 of time saved) Q&A session where just the ones with questions or the ones who would like to listen to questions of others can participate
