Cracking Remote Meetings

By now, we been zooming since March— at work, at home, and in these sessions.
So, how are your online meetings going? For me, some are productive, while others are downright painful. People have.a hard time getting a word in, They talk over each other. Some people talk a lot. Other voices are not heard at all. Everyone feels “on,” all the time. It is exhausting!

Part of the problem is our brains. We’re wired to move towards safety and away from threat. Unfortunately, remote space can feel vulnerable and evaluative. That puts people on the defensive—not the best place for creativity and collaboration.

I’ll share a model based on neuroscience that describes the ways we can create more safety. As we work through the model, we’ll use practical techniques that put that model into action.

I'll outline David Rock's SCARF model, which brings attention to the factors that can reduce threat responses. Then put it into practice. We'll analyze some of your past meetings to see how they attended to these factors. Did they lower threat or heighten it? Then we'll look at the methods I'll use in the session–examining our experience within the experience.

You’ll leave with methods you can use in your next meeting.

About Esther Derby

I draw on four decades of experience leading, observing, and living organizational change. I work with a broad array of organizations. My clients include both start ups and Fortune 500 companies.

Based on experience and research, my approach blends attention to humans and deep knowledge of complex adaptive systems.

I have been called one of the most influential voices within the agile communities when it comes to developing organizations, coaching teams, and transforming management. My work over many years has influenced coaches and leaders across many companies.

Background
I started my career as a programmer. However, over the years I’ve worn many hats, including business owner, internal consultant and manager. From all these perspectives, one thing was clear: individual, team, and even organizational success depends greatly on the work environment and organizational dynamics. As a result, I have spent the last twenty-five years helping companies shape their environment for optimum success.

My formal education includes an MA in Organizational Leadership and a certificate in Human Systems Dynamics.

Follow me on Twitter @estherderby

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