Is it okay to turn your webcam off in the middle of a team call? That seems like a reasonable question, but it always seems to get people worked up. It should be a binary answer: yes or no. But the real answers are "sometimes," and "it depends." We all know the pros and cons of using webcams: The human brain is wired for visual communication. We crave seeing the other … [Read more...]
10 Tips for Better Meetings
Entire books have been written about doing better virtual meetings. Heck, I’ve written two of them myself, but if there was a simple list of things you can do better, it might look like this: Clearly identify your objective and desired outcome. Form follows function, and knowing what you want to achieve will determine which tools you use and what form your meeting will … [Read more...]
How Web Meetings Are Like Renting a Car
You’ve been using Zoom (or Skype for Business, or WebEx—whatever) to host your web meetings for a while and you’ve managed to be reasonably proficient. Now your client wants you to use a different platform. How big a deal is that? It’s not as big a difference as you might think, and the analogy I always use is like renting a car at an airport. Stick with me. Most of us have … [Read more...]
Is Zoom Fatigue Real?
Forced to work from home? It’s not perfect, but hey, there’s always Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and any number of webcam apps to help you stay in touch with your teammates. Then, just when people start using these tools and getting used to them, we learn about “Zoom Fatigue.” This is a perfect example of why, as my mother said, we can’t have nice things. It feels like every time a … [Read more...]
Conference Call Survival Tips
Most companies have held more virtual conference calls this year than ever before. The rise of work-from-home environments has been more significant than ever, and the number of remote employees will likely remain a constant. Conference calling is one of the best ways for teams to keep everyone in the loop about new projects and opportunities. With the wide selection of … [Read more...]