We all know what happens on conference calls. People dial in and then multitask, barely paying attention. You spend more time refocusing the conversation and getting people to participate than you do solving problems. The next time you have a meeting with people in another office or city, consider using videoconferencing instead. The visual connection ensures that people stay engaged and focused, and that those who are struggling to join the conversation can visually indicate that they'd like to talk. And unlike conference calls, videoconferencing allows us to consider not only the words being spoken but also the facial expressions, posture, and body language involved — all the cues we use to intuitively decode what's really being said. The discussion will feel more organic, which will increase the quality of the ideas and the thoughtfulness of the comments, and make it easier for you to keep people fully engaged.
Adapted from "Stop Scheduling Conference Calls and Finally Commit to Videoconferencing," by Scott Edinger
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