How to Hold Remote Meetings That Arent 90 Percent Day Dreaming

How to Hold Remote Meetings That Arent 90 Percent Day Dreaming They say 9 out of 10 people daydream in meetings. The figure is bandied about the Internet a fair bit, and its elend hard to imagine its true. Its natural that the mind wanders when presented with information that doesnt directly affect us or simply when meetings are long enough.Hillary Ferguson has already explained in a previous postthe best way to host productive workplace meetings, namely- Be specific.- Invite the right people.- Have a meeting plan.- Recap duties until the next meeting at the end.But whatif your employees do not have that base physical contact to go off? Remote meetings are especially at risk of going down the drain, becausewithout a physical point of contact, your kollektiv members will be less sensitive to whats going on especially if it doesnt directly involve them.How can you ensure that a meeting is productive when youre not even in the same room with all of your team members? Here are a few ideas1. Get Everyone ContributingJust because youre separated by space, thatdoesnt mean that your team should give up on collaborating and communicating. In fact, remote teams need to communicate more than your standard office to ensure that they dont become isolated and lose motivation. This should be a priority from the get-go with your employee onboarding.The need for communication should be reflected in your remote meetings by getting every team member present to contribute something to the meeting its not a lecture, after all. For example, back at Process Street, the system is that every member of the content team will have a turn to present their achievements since the last meeting, anything that requires approval, and any pitches they have. This is all done over a Skype call whileutilizing a group Slack channel to store links to various resources.By allowing each member to talk to the rest of the team, you ensuring that no member is isolated and communication outside of meetings is naturally encouraged. notlage only this, but youre also creating the framework for one hell of an efficient feedback loop with very few potential tangents If every team member knows what theyre presenting, then theres little room for unnecessary detours.2. Know Your TechWhat comes into your head when you think office meeting? Although it may vary a little, chances are that youve pictured someone standing in front of a whiteboard or PowerPoint presentation, demonstrating what the latest graph shows to the rest of the room. Although cliched, this allows the rest of the participants to comment on their findings in real time very easily, without any barriers getting in the way.Remote meetings do not have this luxury. Theres no room to stand up in, only a computer screen linking you to the other team members. While graphs can be sent to the rest of the team, watching a pie chart on screen while a voice explains what you can all clearly see is a suref ire way to geteveryone wandering off into their own heads.The solution? Collaborative technology.For example, if you have meeting notes, consider opening a shared section of Workflowy to allow everyone access. If youre asking for approval of a blog post or marketing plan, put it in a Google Doc thats accessible to everyone so that no contentis walled off from anyone.Not only does this allow the entire team to be aware of whats going on, but it also instantly makes content relevant to all present in the meeting, as they have the resource available to view.3. Re-Establish Visual ContactEarlier, I mentioned the lack of physical contact being a problem for remote meetings and teams in general. Without being face-to-face, theres a very serious risk of the dreaded sense of isolation setting in.Well, who said that just because you arent in the same room, you cant see each other?By holding a meeting using a Skype video call or Google Hangouts (our preference at Process Street), you re-estab lish the vital face-to-face connection which naturally ensures that your team will be more alert and aware of themselves. Rather than daydream in a video call, the whole team will make the extra effort to stay focused, as everyone can see everyone else and potentially call them out on their lack of attention.In short, yes, remote meetings can make it much harder to keep the whole room engaged. However, if you play your cards right, unterstellung meetings can be as productive as their office counterparts and perhaps even more soBenjamin Brandall is a writer for Process Street.

Ideas For Summer Jobs Working With Animals

Ideas For Summer Jobs Working With AnimalsIdeas For Summer Jobs Working With AnimalsWhether youre a teacher looking to make extra money over the summer or a student, who needs a summer job, there are many summer jobs where you can work with animals. The work can be extremely fulfilling, but keep in mind that working with animals can be physically demanding. If youre okay with hard work, check out the six jobs below. Veterinary Clinic Assistants Veterinary clinics, especially small animal clinics, frequently hire help during summer breaks for kennel attendant or veterinary assistant positions. Kennel attendants are primarily concerned with cleaning cages, walking dogs and assisting with baths. Veterinary assistants hold animals for procedures, interact with owners and help technicians and veterinarians with exams. Some large animal and equine vets may also hire summer help but behauptung opportunities tend to be much harder to find, especially if you dont have prior experience. Pet Store Help Pet stores may hire seasonal help for the sales floor.Pet store sales associates may be involved with cleaning cages, restocking merchandise, making product recommendations to customers and operating the cash register. Night, weekend and holiday hours are common in this industry, especially with the larger chains, so these gigs are best for those who can work a varied schedule. Animal Shelter or Rescue Facility Workers Many shelter and rescue facility positions are unpaid volunteer opportunities, but they are a great way to get the experience necessary to secure a paying position the following year. Duties usually include tasks such as cleaning cages, assisting with adoption paperwork, walking dogs, grooming, bathing and other general animal care tasks. Riding Stables or Equestrian Camp Assistants Peoplewith equine knowledge may find jobs at riding stables, camps, or other equestrian facilities.Position titles for summer employees may include groom, riding i nstructor, camp counselor or assistant trainer. Depending on the specifics of the job, you may be involved in mucking out stalls, riding, teaching lessons, grooming, feeding, turning horses out and other duties as assigned. Compensation is generally not high for equine positions, but there may be a variety of fringe benefits such as complimentary lessons and riding privileges, room and board at overnight camps or the opportunity to compete in shows. Zoo Workers Many zoos offer summer programs designed to give college students a taste of what it would be like to work in a zoo environment. Zoos tend to refer to these programs as internships rather than true employment opportunities. Students should not expect to handle exotic animals directly, but they may be able to shadow zookeepers as they perform general habitat maintenance or assist zoo educators as they conduct tours for visitors. Some zoos also offer camps for young children and seek energetic teens and college students to serve as camp counselors. Both paid and unpaid opportunities may be available, and compensation can vary greatly from one zoo to the next. Pet Sitter or Dog Walker Established pet sitters or dog walking services probably wont be hiring summer help, though it never hurts to ask. You could also abflug your own seasonal pet sitting service at little to no cost. Start by advertising your summer availability to friends, neighbors, and classmates. Summer is a very high demand season for pet care services since many people take vacations during this period. You might even be able to turn this summer business into a year-round operation, depending on your availability and course load while enrolled in school.