How to Connect Meaningfully in a Virtual Meeting
10 guidelines to promote meaningful connections in a time of social distancing
Belonging is a fundamental human need. From infancy, we are driven to connect. Connections with others are vital for our mental and physical health and wellbeing. That’s why—in a time of social distancing—it’s more important now than ever before to connect meaningfully in a virtual meeting or gathering.
What is a meaningful connection? It’s an interaction in which we feel accepted, understood, and supported. We feel heard and cared for. We have a sense of belonging. An interaction that engenders these feelings is what my colleague Jane Dutton calls a “high-quality connection.”
A meaningful connection is a “human moment.” Harvard psychiatrist Edward Hallowell coined this term, saying that a human moment requires two ingredients: physical co-presence and focused attention. The first ingredient is not possible when we are socially distancing. Is it possible to create virtual human moments?