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Practical solutions for the 7 pain points of video calling
Too many employees are at risk
Burn-out rates due to poor mental health have reached epidemic proportions. Experts speculate about the causes. Frequently mentioned factors are high workloads due to under-staffing, performance pressure, and lack of worker resilience.
Little attention has been paid to the role that the intensive use of video calling may play in all of this. Video calls do not allow us to use our natural communication habits. This has far-reaching consequences for our functioning and our mental health.
Our eyes are failing to support us in our video calls
From an early age we are used to exchanging visual signals with each other during a meeting. We receive non-verbal signals that participants send to us and interpret them. We respond to this visual information with words and by sending non-verbal signals. Our eyes play a crucial role in this communication process: eyes see and are seen. They collect and send information.
Unfortunately, this is not possible in video calls. The smooth integration of verbal and non-verbal communication used in the offline world is absent in a virtual office environment. After all, it is impossible to look at the eyes of our video contacts on our computer screen and send video images of our eye contact to them at the same time.
When we try to make eye contact by looking at the eyes of a video contact on our screen, we fail miserably. We seem to be looking down on the screen of our contact, as if distracted, because our camera is usually placed above the computer screen. We come across as disinterested, not truly engaged. Our eyes are unable to really support us in our video calls.
The seven pain points of video calls
The inability to communicate with our eyes in our video calls results in large burdens for employees and their employers.
1. Confusion
We give the impression of being constantly distracted during a video call. We seem to be constantly looking down and never making eye contact. We send and receive confusing signals.
2. Inadequate compensatory behavior
We adjust the pitch of our voice, send messages in a parallel chat and long emails with detailed explanations afterwards to compensate for the lack of on-screen visual communication.
3. Lack of human connection
Brain scans show that our brains are much less connected during video calls. We often feel disengaged and lonely sitting behind our laptop screen.
4. Undermining of mutual trust
Misunderstandings and distrust easily arise due to the lack of neural synchronization that helps us to trust each other and feel connected in the offline world.
5. Lower productivity
Research shows that virtual teams struggle to solve open-ended problems that require associative thinking. Teams are even becoming less intelligent.
6. Cognitive overload
Our brains become overloaded as we struggle to process the confusing signals on our computer screen and mobilize tools to compensate for the lack of visual communication.
7. Mental exhaustion
It is therefore not surprising that video calls deplete our mental energy sources, as a recent study from Stanford University shows. Video fatigue is real, not a figment of our imagination.
Solutions
There is a range of solutions available to deal with the shortcomings of video calling.
1. Denial of the problem
Managers with limited understanding of human functioning are inclined to downplay the pain points of the virtual office. They focus on the monitoring of output and productivity, without paying sufficient attention to the consequences of the work environment for employee mental well-being.
2. Turning off the camera
One can try to limit the mental burden of a video call by turning off the camera and focusing on the verbal communication only. Such behavior appears rather rude and undermines social cohesion within the organization.
3. Communication training & personal vitality workshops
Learning and development initiatives can help improve online communication skills and strengthen the personal resilience of employees. However, they do not solve the fundamental problem.
4. Mandatory presence at the office
By requiring face-to-face meetings in the office, the use of video calling for internal communication is reduced. However, this solution is often impractical, inefficient, and restricts employee autonomy.
5. Use of a video communication device
The Dutch company eyeQ has developed a product that empowers your eyes during your video calls. It allows you to look into the camera while looking at your computer screen. Your video contacts will now experience real eye contact with you. The device rests on your laptop screen, and can be used for internal and external calls.
This device supports a smooth integration of verbal and non-verbal communication during a video call. It reduces your mental burden when working in a virtual office environment, to the benefit of your well-being and productivity. Moreover, mutual trust and engagement are promoted.
Want to know more? Get in contact with us or visit the home page to find more information.
