Danielle Brown, IOM, Vice President, Southwest Valley Chamber of Commerce
You’ve probably heard of it. You’ve probably feel that you’ve experienced it. But is it really a thing? It definitely is! Virtual meetings impair our inherent reliance on non-verbal communication forcing our brains to pay more attention to words and facial expressions. And the more people you add to a virtual meeting, the smaller each person’s picture becomes increasing our reliance on only words to truly understand a person. It’s mentally taxing making us physically tired.
We are hearing from Chambers of Commerce across the country that attendance is down at their Zoom meetings and events. We’ve noticed a drop, too. But as someone who has stuck with it, I’ve noticed something interesting.
Take Networking at Noon, for example. Before Covid, you’d enter our room at The Haymaker, find a seat, and sit and talk to the people at your table. Some people would stop by your table for a few words, but they’d move on fairly quickly to talk to everyone else. As creatures of habit, people usually sat in approximately the same location each week so you’d talk to basically the same people each week. Since the quarantine, Networking at Noon has been meeting every Wednesday on Zoom. Attendance has dropped a little since the beginning but we’ve maintained a solid core group for quite some time now. Friday Business Connections is experiencing the same thing.
What’s been really interesting is watching the group conversation develop. In the beginning, a couple people would carry the conversation but as people became more comfortable, the dynamic has shifted to a laugh-filled, large group conversation where everyone is really getting to know each other. People have been able to share their concerns and their triumphs with everyone.
So my challenge to you is to give it a shot. Join Networking at Noon or Friday Business Connections be part of the conversation. I think you just might come away with a renewed energy.
You’ve probably heard of it. You’ve probably feel that you’ve experienced it. But is it really a thing? It definitely is! Virtual meetings impair our inherent reliance on non-verbal communication forcing our brains to pay more attention to words and facial expressions. And the more people you add to a virtual meeting, the smaller each person’s picture becomes increasing our reliance on only words to truly understand a person. It’s mentally taxing making us physically tired.
We are hearing from Chambers of Commerce across the country that attendance is down at their Zoom meetings and events. We’ve noticed a drop, too. But as someone who has stuck with it, I’ve noticed something interesting.
Take Networking at Noon, for example. Before Covid, you’d enter our room at The Haymaker, find a seat, and sit and talk to the people at your table. Some people would stop by your table for a few words, but they’d move on fairly quickly to talk to everyone else. As creatures of habit, people usually sat in approximately the same location each week so you’d talk to basically the same people each week. Since the quarantine, Networking at Noon has been meeting every Wednesday on Zoom. Attendance has dropped a little since the beginning but we’ve maintained a solid core group for quite some time now. Friday Business Connections is experiencing the same thing.
What’s been really interesting is watching the group conversation develop. In the beginning, a couple people would carry the conversation but as people became more comfortable, the dynamic has shifted to a laugh-filled, large group conversation where everyone is really getting to know each other. People have been able to share their concerns and their triumphs with everyone.
So my challenge to you is to give it a shot. Join Networking at Noon or Friday Business Connections be part of the conversation. I think you just might come away with a renewed energy.
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