We’re overusing Zoom

I love Zoom, I think we now overuse it.

I think there are times, it's okay to just pick up the phone and have a conversation, which is like, having actually a talk on the phone is like a foreign thing these days.

And the reason I say that is that part of it is productivity. Because when you get on a Zoom call, automatically, it feels like it should be something longer.

Whereas a phone call could be you're done in three minutes, and you're done.

But the other reason I say and this is a counterintuitive part is, some of my coaching. I do one on one coaching only with the CEOs of the leadership teams I'm working with.

And with some, and I really should do it, I should take my own advice here and do with all of them. But with some I do it by phone, and some I do it over Zoom now.

It used to all be over the phone, I actually find I have more open honest conversations with people over the phone than any kind of video, you know, Zoom or Teams, which seems counterintuitive, because you would think we could have a more open honest conversation this way.

Because you're getting all three parts of the communication, right, you're getting words, tone, and body language.

And on the phone, you're not getting the body language, but for some reason on the phone, where people are not looking me in the eye, and then just kind of maybe they're pacing as they're talking. Maybe they're looking down.

I just feel like people reach deeper down.

And instead of feeling like they've got to focus on you and smile as they're talking or be careful about what their facial expressions look like. They can go deeper and be more honest when they're not looking at you.

And I say that just you know, A again, I think it's it's a productivity thing. Sometimes it's like let's just get on a phone call. But also if there is a conversation you have to have with someone like this.

I'm not saying Zoom is a bad idea. It's a perfectly fine idea. But there may be times where a phone call could actually lead to, excuse me, a deeper, a deeper, more honest conversation.