I feel very lucky to be able to travel for work and meet smart people from around the world. One thing I’ve realized is how productive working in person with your team can be. That’s probably why Amazon is requiring employees to work five days in the office starting in January. However, I’m not sure this approach will work for every team, especially for those spread across different regions. I also think one-week trips tend to be more productive because they create a sense of urgency that regular workdays sometimes lack.
In this letter, I want to dive a bit deeper into the experience of in-person versus virtual meetings. I’ve never worked in a time when virtual meetings weren’t the norm. Even before COVID, the trend was already moving toward virtual meetings, but I sometimes wonder how different my work would feel if in-person meetings were the standard. Amazon is so large that it likely relied on virtual meetings well before COVID. I’ve realized that participating in virtual calls isn’t always easy. For me it has been an ongoing learning experience.
Contributing to conversations virtually can be quite different. In person, it’s easier to give visual cues, like nodding when someone asks a question. Online, those gestures are harder to notice. Often times people won’t have their camera on anyways. Personally, I find it challenging to jump into conversations virtually. I tend to be quiet and usually wait for others to finish speaking, but in online meetings, this can end up in me missing the chance to contribute before the topic shifts. In person, it’s easier to signal that I have something to say through gestures or even just eye contact.
This is something I’m actively working on, and I think many people might feel the same way. Or maybe you’re on the other end of the spectrum and tend to “drive” virtual meetings. If that’s the case, it’s worth keeping in mind that some coworkers may struggle to jump in, especially in larger meetings. One approach I find helpful is to go around the group at the end of the call and give everyone a chance to add any final thoughts they may not have had the chance to share.
Let me know if this is something you find challenging too. And for those who worked before the era of virtual meetings, I’d love to hear how you think things have changed. Feel free to just reply on social media or email ([email protected])!