Remote work eliminates the micro-interactions, chats, and visual cues of in-person gatherings. So if you’re hosting a virtual meeting, try to replace as much of that as you can. Here’s how:
Arrive early, start late. Chitchat as people enter the virtual room, and allow for stragglers who may be parenting or home-schooling. Humor helps: “How was rush hour? Oh, wait.” Leigh Thompson, a professor at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, says don’t dive straight into business. Her research shows that schmoozing decreases confrontational behavior, increases trust, and improves outcomes.
