“Nooooo, not another Zoom call.”
Are you feeling this way too? At the beginning of the pandemic, Zoom was a great way to feel connected to co-workers and friends. Even an introvert like myself was okay with video conference calls. But now these calls feel like another party that I need to figure a way out of. Another time-sucking work meeting that requires a decent-looking shirt. My I’m actively listening! face is starting to exhaust me. Welcome to Zoom Fatigue.
If you really need to have a synchronous (everyone together at the same time) video call, then Zoom is a good solution. But part of the problem with video conference calls is that what makes them great (they’re like an in-person meeting) also makes them problematic (they’re like an in-person meeting!). People get talked over, interrupted, or they don’t talk at all. People may not prepare, because they figure “we’ll just brainstorm.” (Nooooooooo!) Video conference calls are feeling less and less productive, and people are burnt out.
Here’s where Storyvine comes in. Storyvine is asynchronous, or one way. So it’s just you and the point(s) that you’re trying to make. Gather your thoughts and say what you need to say, on your own time, when the lighting is perfect in your dining room home office. No one will interrupt you or steer the conversation somewhere else, or spring something on you that you weren’t expecting.
Consider the receiving end as well. People can watch when it’s convenient (no more 5am conference calls!). They can take their time to respond (if they even need to respond – you’re thinking about those people who talk just to talk right now, aren’t you?). No bickering, no conversations that should have been “taken offline” 10 minutes ago.
Storyvine is perfect for regularly updating your team, sharing a testimonial, explaining a situation, or filming a How-to. Discussions and brainstorming have their place, but consider where you can trim the fat off of regular video conference calls, and replace them with asynchronous video instead. Your team will thank you.