Virtually non-Productive

We all got used to meeting online during the pandemic.  Apps like Zoom and Teams were part of the fabric of our work.

Now many of us are back in the office but the Zoom/Teams habit is hard to break.  Some of us have a number of online calls and conferences every day, keeping us connected and engaged.

However, cast your mind back to pre-pandemic days.  We would probably have dealt with many of these issues with a quick walk down the corridor and a short chat, or perhaps a brief phone call.  Nowadays these issues might involve several people (who may have no direct involvement or interest but get dragged in to a discussion by their mere online presence - and a desire to be seen to contribute.

If you are responsible for scheduling such meetings make sure you understand the purpose of, and intended outcomes from, the meeting.  Next, check who needs to be involved.  And estimate how long any discussion needs. 

If the scheduled online call is not within these simple parameters, you need to educate your staff about how to run efficient meetings and when to use the simple phone call or the corridor walk.

You might then get back to pre-pandemic productivity levels.