How to Combat Meeting and Email Fatigue with Team Chat

Communication solutions like email and video meetings have revolutionized how we connect and collaborate across distances. But a jam-packed schedule and an overflowing inbox don't help you get actual work done.

With real-time collaboration tools like Zoom Team Chat, you can avoid the dreaded “this-could-have-been-an- email” meeting and keep your inbox reserved for high-priority, long-form communications.

Communicating with teams and keeping them up to speed on current projects and campaigns is crucial. However, frequent meetings for status updates, brainstorming sessions, and reviews with different teams can leave you with little time to get your work done. 

Here are a few ways you can create some space in your calendar and get some time back with Zoom Team Chat: 

• Streamline meetings: By using team chat channels, you can shorten your status update meetings and use that time to provide clarity and answer questions instead of going over task updates. 

• Start with chat: Rather than scheduling a meeting for every project or task, you can kick off communications with a chat channel or a quick message. If you or other parties need further clarification or have questions, you can schedule a meeting for later or even launch a meeting straight from chat using the video icon.

• Get organized: For your team and project meetings, send an agenda via a chat channel before the meeting. This way everyone is prepared and you can get straight to the point once the meeting starts, reducing overall meeting time.

Making your way through a deluge of emails can take up valuable time as you navigate endless email threads and attempt to respond to them. With chat, you can easily click through messages, identify what items are directed to you, and quickly find the information you need. 

Here’s why chat is a great alternative to email: 

• It’s faster and more efficient: Using chat instead of email is like using text messages rather than voicemails to communicate — instead of sorting through long messages for the information you’re looking for, you can quickly review messages that get straight to the point. 

• You can catch up quickly: Catching up after being out of the office or analyzing progress on an unfamiliar project can be an arduous process, especially if you’re using email alone. Chat allows you to see entire conversations at a glance and exactly how they progressed over time, enabling you to quickly see a project’s progress or catch up on work. 

• Organization is effortless: Adding emails to various folders and keeping track of everything in your inbox is a challenge. Chat helps you maintain order with the use of channels, bookmarks, and @ mentions so you can easily find what you’re looking for with minimal effort.

• You can customize your notifications: When you receive an email, it's almost impossible to know how urgent it is without directly opening and reading the message. With chat, you can customize your notifications to alert you only when you receive messages from certain channels or individuals or when you receive an @ mention, helping you to prioritize tasks and respond quickly to those important messages. 

With Zoom Team Chat, you can get more done together while taking back the important time you need to succeed. To learn more about how Zoom can help with your chat needs and streamline your workflows, join our monthly webinar.