Actual. Not Virtual.

TLDR: Drop 'virtual'. Think 'how can I make this activity whole and remote.' It will give you better meetings now and set you up for mixed-mode collaboration (not just meetings).

Virtual meetings make me cringe. I don't cringe at actual "virtual meetings", as in the meeting of minds and discussion by remote means. I really like those. What I don't like is the sentiment that they are virtual and therefore incomplete.

Of course they are virtual in the not quite complete sense if the physical proximity to others is important to the meeting's purpose and success. That might well be the case - if the (physical) human factors are key then meeting remotely will be a virtual meeting.

There are lots of ways to mitigate the absence of physical proximity. Lots has been written on this for participants, managers and leaders recently. We must do those things.

Most remote meetings can be completely actual not virtual. Lots of collaborative document production, work list organising and knowledge sharing can work even better than in person. I've observed introvert characters finding it easier to contribute more strongly.

I default to digital-first. I would have told you a month ago that running a "Finding your Why?" workshop remotely would be a struggle. It wasn't. Ironically: 90 min+ of the format I use is 'working on your own in silence' and it turns out you don't need to drive 100's of miles to do that. And, I'm sorry, but typing up the answers on Trello for sorting is better than Post It notes - things I thought I'd never say.

Plus of course its easier to show up on time, things finish when they finish not just at the end of the allotted time slot, and a general sensitivity to sharing the airtime seems to prevail. (Perhaps the sign that it's becoming more normal will be the erosion of those things.)

So move your mindset: your activity is actual - real, collaborative, productive, complete and human - it is just remote. This is how we get things done. Success will be blending these new good behaviours back with the physical room behaviours so we all have more choice in how we perform well.

And still finding a way to end up in the same room from time to time to eat badly prepared carb-rich foods washed down with below-average coffee.