The Easiest Place to Start Getting Anyone Used to Video

Start with video conferencing.

 It’s been around for a while but only in the last several years or so has it technically hit its stride. The bandwidth, quality of the webcams, and multiple software have made it more accessible and easier than ever.

 Still, when a webcam is not turned on, the device is nothing more than a glorified phone.

And why are the cams turned off? It comes back to self-love where a lot of us are not comfortable with people seeing us when we are out of our normal character. At the office, you are in a smart looking business outfit but at home, you might be wearing worn sweatpants and a tattered but comfortable T-shirt and hair that makes you look like Albert Einstein.  

There is no way in the world you want to be seen on the freaking webcam.

This may come as a surprise but here is the deal:

If you have internal calls with your employees, and it doesn’t matter if they sit at a desk or are at home, it should be company policy that the video camera always be turned on during business hours.

 There may be some reluctance at first, but this will help dramatically with people getting comfortable with video.

Don’t take my word for this. If you know of a tech startup company made up with younger folks, ask them if they require people to turn on their webcams during video conference calls.

They will probably give you that confused look because all their webcams are on. They are always on.

I doesn’t matter if you look like the creature from the lagoon emerging from the swamp, occasionally looking like hell is, I suppose, normal. It’s human and more important, it’s authentic.

 So here is what you need to tell everyone:

“We want to start having some meetings online to help with time management. We will be using (Insert tool name. I have a list of awesome recommendations at the end of this book) to do this. I know most of you don’t like it, but we ask that you turn on your webcam so we can have that face to face feeling online. If you are working at home, please give you self a couple of minutes extra to make sure you are comfortable to be on camera and that your background is presentable.”

That is a very corporate-like email, so you are free to write it anyway you would like. In a nutshell, here is what you are trying to say:

·     Make sure you are clothed. Do not stand up if you are only clothed from the waist up. Wear whatever you are comfortable wearing to work.

·     We don’t care what you look like, only you do. But remember that you will be on camera.

·     And please, no dirty dishes or underwear hanging in the background.

I hope you all get that! 

You will need to make this mandatory. Stress that this is the same as if you were meeting someone in person where you can see each other.

The only excuse for not having the cam on during working hours is sickness. If that happens that person should not be working and should be in bed getting rest. At least they won’t be spreading germs around your office!