Not entirely the same, but since the pandemic and WFH, I've started doing a lot of my 1:1s while walking, voice only. I'd be really interested to know if anyone else has started doing this?
Typically, both people walk, using good Bluetooth headphones.
I was finding the combination of staring at the screen while coding, and then also during meetings, to be very straining.
Something about having to focus intently on the screen during a 1:1 was particularly tiring.
Maybe because it's socially rude to look away while the other person is talking, so you end up really staring at the screen?
Now, instead, during a walking meeting, I exercise and get to look into the distance.
The most surprising thing for me was the ability to have technical conversations like this. I expected we'd really suffer without a whiteboard. Sometimes this is true, but I find we can have a lot of very technical conversations with voice only, and actually it's often easier than with video chat - because with voice only, I can focus more on the technical issues being discussed.
Finally, there are some days where I have a couple of hours walking meetings scattered throughout the day, and this is a lot of extra movement, which has to be good.
I wish there were more employers experimenting with different communication modalities like this; I feel the pandemic for all it's costs, has shown there are some great opportunities for other ways of working which have been underexplored.
Typically, both people walk, using good Bluetooth headphones.
I was finding the combination of staring at the screen while coding, and then also during meetings, to be very straining.
Something about having to focus intently on the screen during a 1:1 was particularly tiring. Maybe because it's socially rude to look away while the other person is talking, so you end up really staring at the screen?
Now, instead, during a walking meeting, I exercise and get to look into the distance.
The most surprising thing for me was the ability to have technical conversations like this. I expected we'd really suffer without a whiteboard. Sometimes this is true, but I find we can have a lot of very technical conversations with voice only, and actually it's often easier than with video chat - because with voice only, I can focus more on the technical issues being discussed.
Finally, there are some days where I have a couple of hours walking meetings scattered throughout the day, and this is a lot of extra movement, which has to be good.
I wish there were more employers experimenting with different communication modalities like this; I feel the pandemic for all it's costs, has shown there are some great opportunities for other ways of working which have been underexplored.