The Power of Breakout Sessions for Remote Working Relations

The global classroom setting that takes place as a videoconference is a highly coordinated system that looks like it is easy to pull off, but in reality requires multiple technical experts on the live classroom side of things to plug everything in, make sure the lighting is good, make sure students have no glare, and countless other subtle details that influence the overall “presentation” of the classroom. Many universities have global classrooms now, where students and professors tune in from various corners of the globe and talk about pertinent issues in their class or organization.

At the beginning of each lecture, the teacher or professor is highlighted and students know which box to look via Zoom. On the right or left hand side depending on how users pick their interface, there is a Chat window where students and the professor can chat with one another and ask questions or voice concerns during the lecture, so as not to disturb or interrupt someone when they are talking in live mode.

The chat function also helps create a sense of trust for participants in any videoconference because of the ability to talk about the Connection quality, if something is going wrong or malfunctioning with the Audio quality, or if someone has questions about screen sharing.

Stepping back and reflecting

These global classroom meetings present many good learning points for higher ups who might be managing a remote workforce and want their workers to stay focused, motivated, and in tune with the mission and values of the organization they represent.

 In this way, the global classroom style can be replicated with remote workers and their higher ups. One major feature of having successful communication during these videoconferences is to have breakout sessions, sort of like small social circles. These virtual breakout sessions are significant because they allow workers to:

• Take a step back from the rigor and guidelines of their working environment and bond with other co-workers.
• Present an opportunity for two or more remote workers to meet online and discuss what issues they are having with the work or assignments they are on, and in essence bond with one another
• Builds trust between employer-employee relations at the organization level and help employees or contractors feel “settled in”
• Helps remote workers socialize while on the job and improve job satisfaction while reducing stress and chronic fatigue. 

Evolving Rulebooks and Guidelines

Prior to so much remote working and the days of the traditional office space, it was easier for managers to formally meet with people and thank them for their contributions and give them recognition for what they had done on an assignment, or how they had acted during an important presentation. With that being said, there was, and still is, a sort of implicitly understood rulebook for office culture. There are clear do’s and don’ts in the office, and we know this by understanding how people react to us —processing this information internally.  

Video communications can help a remote workforce, just like a global classroom of students, understand better what the do’s and don’ts are for an organization, and even how rules might bend or evolve as time goes on for a contracted remote worker.

When there is ambiguity about rules in an organization, it is super important to ask questions, but employees might not even have to do this if someone asks their question during a videoconference. Thus videoconferences are an asset for remote employees who overall hear from their other co-workers less often because of the nature of being remote. 

This is similar for students in a classroom. When there is a difficult assignment, three or four students might be thinking of the exact same question and when one student finally asks the desired question, there is relief amongst the group that they were not alone in thinking they were the only one with an issue.

Remote workers can have the same catharsis when they are working on a contract and might not feel comfortable asking a certain question.

Toward a Better Career

Breakout sessions can ultimately help remote workers feel like they are in more of a career and friendly environment, instead of just in a contract. Breakout sessions in general, in the virtual space, help workers realize that work is not everything, and that the relationships they form while on the job are experiential, and hopefully, pleasant and lead to better networking— a staple of having a good career in the current digital moment. 

Careers and breakout sessions go hand in hand because regardless of whether Zoom is being used as a platform, remote workers need outlets, just like the holiday office party to reflect on the progress they have made with an organization.