Lean in don't zone out in webinars

Yes, I saw the research my hero Adam Grant shared the other day about the value of reducing Zoom fatigue by turning off your camera . While I'd never disagree with a rock star like Adam, I will offer a counter opinion...that when I do turn on my camera I'm more likely to stay fully engaged...more than that I'll share a few simple hacks to help you get more value too.

Case in point, this week I attended Bronwyn Saglimbeni's free webinar: Story, Sound, & Synchronicity: the art of making a podcast sing. There were, maybe, 100 of us on the zoom call. It was just the kind of event where I could zone out, multi-task some email, leave my camera off, and promise myself I'd watch the video later (which I never do.) Instead I followed 3 simple steps to maximize the value I got from my hour with Bronwyn.

1.) Take Notes by hand

Whenever I do zoom calls or classes these days I put my notes into my Full Focus Planner by hand. Yes, my handwriting is not what Sr. Frances Rose wanted it to be...but it's okay for me. Further, research shows that you will recall what you learn better if you also write it down as you learn it. This requires me to remain alert and engaged.

Sometimes I even vary the colors or even illustrate what's being shared which further cements the learning and ensures I'm being attentive. (Ms. Kriegel would be even more alarmed at my drawing than Sr. Frances Rose would be at my handwriting!)

2.) Leave my video on

I can't recall if I had showered that morning before class or not, but I knew that if my camera was on, I'd also be "on" and more engaged with Bronwyn and the others in the class. It reduced my temptation to multitask and allowed me to give her great eye contact and smiles throughout the lesson. For my fellow educators and trainers, you know how hard it is to speak to an empty void or sea of tiny black boxes with white names on them. I wanted to help cause Bronwyn to be her best so that we would all benefit.

3.) Turn off those who aren't on video

This was a game-changer for me. Not only does it suck to teach to a sea of black boxes with white names, it's hard to feel engaged as a student when that's what you see. Simply go down the video settings in Zoom and check the "hide video non participants" box. This took the sea of faceless boxes away from my view and increased the size of those who were, like me, keeping their video on.

Just look at the difference it makes. You can see faces, respond to whomever laughs or cringes, and feel like you are really experiencing the webinar with others. Some of us even connected afterwards because we enjoyed the experience and what the other had contributed to the webinar.

So, that's it: Write your notes, turn on your camera, and turn off those who don't. May these three simple steps allow you to gain more from the time you invest in zoom learning!