The Zoom Zeitgeist

THE ZOOM ZEITGEIST – Zoom fails, features and need-to-know facts

Whether it’s Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, Team Viewer, or just another Video Call, many of us, including many of our kids, have had to get used to far more online meetings and interactions.

Like everything in life, there are some serious pros and some serious cons to this new way of working.

So let’s get right down to it: the good, the bad, the fails and the not-so-ugly of online meetings – all so you can up the game!

THE GOOD…

What’s not to love about no rush-hour traffic and arriving at a board meeting in your tracksuit pants and slippers? Working from home and meeting online has allowed many working women the opportunity to enjoy a level of freedom and flexibility they’ve never had before.

THE BAD…

As much as technology has made our lives easier, meetings online come with their own challenges…

A Conference Call in Real Life from Instep UK on Vimeo.

Recent studies have shown that ‘Zoom Fatigue’ is a real thing. In the absence of many non-verbal cues, we’d usually be able to read if we were chatting in-person, people seem far more disengaged and disinterested onscreen (they may actually be very interested but it’s harder to tell).

This makes us, in turn, more likely to make more of an emotional effort than we’d usually need to, and the net result is a very tired zoomed-out person by the end of a few meetings.

Still, things could be far worse. Just ask this guy…

AND THE NOT-SO-UGLY…

Although very few people have a face, neck, and upper torso built for video conference calls, here are a few game-changing tips to make sure you look your professional best.

1. Before you start or join a meeting, go to the ‘Settings’ and make sure it’s set to always start with your microphone and camera off. That way, you’ll always be able to slip into your online meetings politely. Once you’re there, you can turn your video and microphone on when/if need be.
2. If you’re on Zoom, go to ‘Settings’ and then ‘Video’ and click on ‘Touch up my appearance’. It softens your features without adding any obvious filter. Brilliant!
3. Pay attention to your surroundings. Try not to have any distracting clutter behind you, or any bright light streaming in from a window.
4. Make sure you are well-lit though and raise your computer so that you’re eye-level with the camera filming you.
5. Look directly at your camera while speaking. This will help others listening and watching you feel much more included in the conversation.
6. When others are speaking, try to show you’re engaged by visibly nodding and smiling every now and then (in a non-creepy way of course)!
7. If there are any unavoidable ambient sounds or distracting noises in your area, mute your microphone until you need to contribute.

Here’s to more productive, energising, fail-free online meetings… and always, always remember to log out and turn your camera and mic off when they finish!

Chat soon MUMs x

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