Planning Required

Sometimes I “Zoom” into hybrid meetings with people seated around a table and a video monitor on the sidelines showing livestream participants. This monitor is used to capture audio from everyone in the room and it’s pushed far enough away to show everyone at the table. This distance often leads to very poor audio quality for remote users as well as poor-quality captions and difficulties with lip reading and viewing sign language. Engagement and productivity really suffer in these situations.

Last week I attended a hybrid meeting in person in a cavernous old New England town hall replete with hardwood floors and vaulted ceilings. This space is an acoustic nightmare, and I really couldn’t hear anything. Then I noticed that for the folks tuning in at home, each speaker had their own dedicated microphone. These mics were directly connected to a mixer for the live stream. Additionally, several cameras capture various viewpoints, enhancing the opportunity to lip-read.

Although I was in the room, I used my phone to join the live stream and listened to the sound directly through my hearing aids using a Bluetooth connection with my phone. There was a 1-2 minute delay in the live-streamed video, but I could clearly hear and follow the conversation. Later, I inquired about adding a wireless system to the mixer that could stream directly to my hearing aids, and it is feasible.

I've learned the key to successful hybrid meetings is a mix of thought to provide clear communication and inclusive practices, investment in the right technology, and time for set up and maintenance. With planning, these meetings can be productive and engaging for all.