Credibility on Zoom - The impact of the background

I moved to my current house, several years ago. One of the requirements was space for a home office. I'd previously rented an office space, but due to the nature of my work the office could be home based. The office space in this current house is ideal. It's well lit, fully equipped, and spacious with a water supply for a kettle. An ideal home office.

 But notwithstanding the fact that my office environment conveys a professional business like image,  I prefer not to display my office online and have chosen to use a virtual background when on meetings using Zoom.  What’s led to a virtual background on Zoom decision? 

Two factors have contributed.

1.      Distraction.

I'm a member of an online speaker's club, and recently a lady made a prepared speech. Her speaking skills were excellent. She engaged and interested me, her audience, in her story. But behind her was a dresser. On this dresser were photos, ornaments and flowers. Very pleasant to look at but distracting. They distracted my attention away from her gestures and words. So I have chosen to use virtual backgrounds that are just one colour. So the maximum focus of anybody, when communicating with me is on me and on what I'm saying.

2.      Interpretation.

‘You cannot not communicate’. This is fact. What you look like, how you sound your words, gestures that dress, age, all will communicate something about you. As will your Zoom background. The Zoom background will be communicating a message, it cannot not, and you cannot know the impact of your background on another person, how they interpret your background, whether in a positive or negative way. You may not intend it to be interpreted in a certain way, but that doesn't matter. So unless you know your background will be received positively, err on the side of caution and select a Zoom background that is neutral.

? Krista Powell Edwards  2021   [email protected]