
Dr. Allen, you are a leading meeting scientist. What exactly is the science of meetings? Yes, in fact, I’ve written 25% of the scientific literature on the topic, more than any other person (as far as I know). The science of meeting or meeting science is the systematic study of workplace meetings with the hope of identifying what makes them work and what makes them not work as well as they ought.	Can you offer your top tips for leading a successful hybrid work meeting? Ensure participation for all by setting the ground rule that people will be called upon by name for their input. Enable remotes to engage first in each agenda item by calling on them before letting folks in the physical room speak.	Can you please share your top tip for communicating effectively when in a hybrid work meeting? If you are attending remotely, make sure you polish your personal production value. Make sure your face is well lit, so people can read your facial expressions easily. Frame yourself so you are seen from mid-chest up so you can adequately convey nonverbals. Make sure your background is neutral and not distracting.


How do you combat multitasking during virtual meetings? We have to remind everyone that multitasking is a myth. There’s just tasking. You are either tasking in the meeting or you are engaged in other tasks. You cannot really do both, without allowing one or the other to suffer. With that said, good meetings have less multitasking.	When is it imperative to turn your video on and when is it not? After nonstop virtual calls, you might want to keep your webcam off, but you may be doing yourself more harm than good. Ask yourself these questions to determine when video is imperative… or not. The answer is yes if the meeting requires your collaboration, and if there are new people on the call.	Are meeting best practices common sense, but uncommonly followed? Remember all that stuff you’ve known forever about meetings that you never did (e.g. agenda, participation, preparation, etc.). All of that is MORE important online because the flaws in the process are more salient online than they are in person.