How can we encourage camera use in online meetings? ???

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Cams at the Meeting - For or Against?

People divide into those who struggle immensely to encourage other meeting participants to turn on their cameras and those who do not turn on their cameras.

... into those who have never seen anything difficult in this...

... and into those who suddenly discovered that it's also possible without a camera...

That's why I dedicate this article to all readers, because... everyone is somewhat right.

Firstly, consider the negative impact of cameras on meeting participants (including yourself!)

I am an advocate for turning on cameras during online meetings because of the potential for quicker interaction with others, responding to their gestures and facial expressions, as well as fostering trust and a sense of "being together".

However, I also notice that after a whole day of being constantly "on camera", switching from one meeting to another, I feel absolutely drained.

In a study from 2021, it was shown that using the camera affects the daily sense of fatigue; however, the number of hours that employees spent in virtual meetings does not. This means that it is precisely the regular use of the camera during meetings, rather than their excessive number, that lies at the root of the fatigue problem (source).

We're talking about the so-called "Zoom fatigue" effect (I mentioned it earlier and referred to that scientific article from 2021), which is the feeling of exhaustion from constantly being on online meetings with the camera turned on.

In 2023, Gernot Müller-Putz, the director of the Institute of Neural Engineering at the Graz University of Technology in Austria, along with his colleagues, attempted to demonstrate how having the camera turned on during a meeting physically and neurologically impacts participants.

Neurophysiological measurements and EKG among the participants showed that after just 15 minutes of a video conference, heart rates slow down, and brain wave activity indicates significant concentration issues and initial signs of fatigue (source).

The reasons? Most commonly:

1. Delays (so-called lags) – someone experiences technical issues, interruptions occur, or there's a delay between sound and image...
2. Constantly seeing oneself "in the mirror" (automatically activated self-camera preview).
3. Feeling "under observation" and being judged on our appearance or our surroundings behind us.

Interestingly, in the previously mentioned 2021 study, it was shown that stress due to these reasons is much more common among women and younger employees. Read more about it.

?? Quick tip: Turn off the preview of your camera in each of the communication tools you use or minimize it to eliminate the habit of glancing at your own face.

Summing up - cameras are not neutral tools. They are necessary, useful, and can help you during meetings, but consider the cost of turning them on.

Is this camera really necessary for us?

In connection with the paragraph above, we should always start by asking whether participants need to turn on their cameras during a particular virtual meeting ??

What turning on the camera can influence:

• ? We not only hear but also see each other - we can react not only to words but also to gestures, facial expressions, and emotions that appear on the face.
• ? It's easier for us to adapt to reactions, moods, and attitudes of other participants (as facilitators - we see with what attitude participants come to the meeting, and it's easier for us to implement any contingency plans).
• ? It's easier for us to notice if someone wants to speak up, has a different opinion, or has lost interest in the topic.
• ? By being visible, it's harder to hide dealing with other matters, such as replying to emails in the background (which doesn't mean that participants won't do it...)

To summarize - having the camera on can significantly influence how we react and adapt to situations.

Examples of situations when the camera may be essential:

• ?? We need to build mutual trust during the meeting, and our participants do not know each other well - getting to know each other and seeing how we look can help (but not guarantee) in creating a safe space.
• ?? With the team, we need to discuss a difficult topic, make a tough decision, and/or react to someone's emotions - seeing ourselves, our feelings, gestures, and facial expressions will help us react and respond not only to words but also to participants' reactions.
• ?? Some participants join from the office, some from outside - hybrid meetings are challenging by nature, but it's worth ensuring that every meeting participant is visible (literally, everyone - either through a wide-angle camera or by applying the online-by-default principle and asking people in the room to turn on their laptops in front of them and join the meeting so that everyone is visible on camera).

Does the lack of a camera mean a lack of engagement?

My biggest issue on this topic is strongly correlating that due to the camera being turned off, users are not engaged meeting participants. We often think that if we only teach people to regularly turn on their cameras, the problem of their engagement will disappear ?

However, my perspective is different - lack of engagement comes first. If a participant is passive, unengaged, not participating in the discussion, turning on the camera won't change anything. Furthermore, having the camera on is just another stage of lack of engagement. Sometimes, in some cases, the first stage - when a participant realizes that being "invisible" doesn't matter and isn't necessary anymore, it's no wonder that the habit persists.

Above all, let's try to engage the participant in the content of the meeting.

We still don't do it well enough. We create meetings that are lectures, presentations, readings. If a participant doesn't see a place at the table for themselves, don't be surprised that they don't want to turn on the camera. Does seeing their bored expression (rightfully so! we as organizers often mess something up if this person doesn't have a role, task, or opportunity to engage) change anything?

As I wrote, having cameras on has many advantages and helps us react quickly, adapt, build relationships. But let's first examine our conscience - are we not trying to stick a plaster ("people don't engage because they have their cameras turned off") on a wound ("I don't give them the opportunity and space to engage"), instead of acting preventively?

Every case is different - I myself have experienced very engaging online meetings where we discussed, acted, created... without seeing each other. But! ? certainly the effectiveness was guaranteed by the fact that we were all looking at the board we co-created in MURAL. Or the mind map created by the scribe. We didn't need to see each other to collaborate.

On the other hand, I've experienced giving a lecture to a group of 100 students, during which no one, despite my requests, turned on their cameras. It was like talking to a wall, without any reaction from the listeners. It was absolutely the right punishment for my poorly designed meeting. Instead of assertively refusing such a format (if the goal was interaction, learning something), limiting the number of participants, developing a formula of micro-lectures + group exercises... I was to blame myself ;)

How to encourage participants to turn on their cameras in a meeting?

Before the meeting

If we need to encourage... it means that we haven't clearly communicated the need for why the camera will be needed during the meeting. We can do this, for example, in the invitation content or the description of the meeting itself.

Many of my clients, just after the outbreak of COVID, designed etiquette rules with teams, i.e., virtual etiquette, for example, during virtual or hybrid meetings. One of the etiquette rules may be the attitude towards cameras and the determination of which option is default and/or when the camera is necessary.

In my opinion, it is a good practice to send a short message to participants before the meeting, when and how the camera will be needed. Remember to indicate what you need to meet the meeting's goal; this will give other participants a sense of engagement and influence.

During the meeting

The beginning of the meeting itself will show whether we need to intervene. If everyone turns on their cameras, and we need it for the meeting - success ?

Alternatively, you can reinforce it by reminding why we need to see each other today. If participants haven't turned on their cameras, and we know that the meeting will not be effective otherwise - let's propose such a rule as part of the contract (written, verbal, official, or as part of the meeting framework - ?? I wrote about it in the article What can we include in the meeting contract?).

What's essential is to emphasize strongly why this meeting will be more effective if cameras are turned on for the entire meeting or part of it.

Also, remember to reinforce at the end of the meeting whether and how cameras worked and helped. It's also worth having a discussion with the team from time to time - how do meetings with cameras on affect us? Do we have similar opinions, or do we differ in this area? To allow everyone to express their opinion, try to collect opinions anonymously and then discuss them together.

But what if it doesn't work?!

Well, okay, the above-mentioned methods have undoubtedly been used by each of you before. They are simple, reactive, polite, and strongly indicating the benefit that each participant will get from it. But what - if it doesn't work? ??

I have three tricks that I try to use then:

1?? Greeting and saying goodbye with cameras.

Cameras don't have to be on all the time to fulfill their purpose. An effective way that I practice myself is to ask (and even communicate before the meeting - for example, in the invitation or email before) participants to turn on their cameras at the beginning of the meeting when we greet each other and establish the action plan and at the very end when we summarize the meeting. During the meeting, they can be turned off if we mainly focus on the discussion.

2?? Groups or pairs - for selected parts of the meeting, such as discussion, exercise, comparing options, suggest to participants to move to breakout rooms, where in pairs or small groups (3-4 people), participants have a task to complete. Suggest turning on the cameras.

Sometimes participants don't want to turn on cameras in the forum, especially if they are mainly listeners, don't speak up, don't feel like they "co-create" the meeting. Creating a smaller space can guarantee this for them. However, remember to maintain a safe space in subgroups and, if you want to visit rooms during work, notify them before moving to separate rooms.

3?? Exercise or energizer - to encourage participants to turn on their cameras, sometimes I invite them to do an exercise or starter that requires the camera to be turned on. Always ensure that everyone can decide for themselves whether to participate. Usually, people, not wanting to miss out, will accept the invitation.

What energizer can work well here?

?? Modified Portrait Gallery (original source here) - ask or set up in the communication tool for everyone to see each other (gallery layout). Then ask each participant to choose one person and... draw their portrait on a piece of paper in front of their laptop, but! without taking their eyes off the screen! They can only look at the screen (everyone adheres to this rule because we intensely stare at each other) and draw. At the end, it's time to show our works and try to guess who drew whom. Quick, stress-relieving, and additionally stimulating new creativity. In my article ?? How to start a meeting? you will find the answer to whether it is worth (and if so, what) using energizers at the beginning of meetings.

Another exercise I like to use is:

?? Countdown to... - again, it requires a gallery layout so that all participants with cameras turned on can see each other. The task is simple - the group must count to 20. The only rule - no one can speak at the same time and interrupt each other. If someone makes a mistake, you have to start over. It seems trivial, but... try it in practice.

After several mistakes, it's perfect to point out that mutual attention - who has what facial expression, who wants to say something, who has something to say - is ultra-important in online meetings. It teaches and amuses ;) And if you've tried it already, you can always try versions like name all the days of the week, name all the company's values, and so on... :)

How to fight "Zoom fatigue"?

1?? Reduce the number of meetings where the camera must be turned on.

Experiment whether you always need to see each other during a weekly status meeting or a 1:1 call about a quick topic. Talk about it with the team; check how you assess the effectiveness of some meetings without cameras.

2?? Try other forms of meetings.

One of the more interesting alternatives are "walking meetings," where everyone takes headphones and equipment and... goes for a walk. Ideally, to a place surrounded by nature (park, forest, garden). There are plenty of health benefits when we wander without a specific destination, focusing entirely on the meeting topic.

Another experiment could be to impose a non-traditional meeting structure - for example, real "standups," i.e., stand-up meetings. It not only stimulates our brain (something different happens than usual) but also... forces us not to talk for too long ;)

3?? Take breaks and make shorter meetings.

The intensity and productivity of online meetings often tempt us to work without breaks. "Okay, okay, let's quickly discuss this and move on to the next topics." Sound familiar? It's a very tempting scenario. However, it doesn't work - due to fatigue, lack of efficiency, and decreased attention.

And if you ever think again, "Okay, okay, but just one more topic...", remind yourself of the results of the Microsoft study from 2021:

EEG research has shown that continuous meetings without breaks lead to an increase in brain wave activity associated with stress, which lowers concentration. In combination with previous findings on the same symptoms due to having the camera on... It's no wonder remote work can exhaust us.

Short breaks (5 minutes every 30-45 minutes) during remote meetings allow us to "reset" our brains and reduce stress levels before the next meeting. Also, remember about ?? synchronizers, which act as a balm for the mind, attention, and our bodies.

The End

?? Challenge for you - try to demystify the issue of cameras in online meetings and have some fun with it - next time during a meeting with your team, try out AR effects that efficiently create interactive avatars based on your movements, facial expressions, or gestures.

?? Food for thought:

From the study on the impact of online cameras on employee fatigue - who is most susceptible and why? Ponder this from your perspective and the composition of your online meetings.

Analysis of the results revealed that using the camera was more exhausting, especially for women and new employees in the organization. Women more often fall victim to the so-called "grooming gap," which is the expectation that they always present themselves neatly and well-groomed. Women also experience greater social pressure in organizations and are judged more harshly, suggesting that using the camera may be more stressful for them than for men. New employees also experience pressure related to presenting themselves, trying to prove their value in the organization and adapt to social norms in the workplace, which can be challenging during video conferences. (HBR 2021)

?? Thank you for reading this article. I would love to hear your thoughts on how you encourage colleagues (if you do!) to turn on their cameras during online meetings. I'm waiting for your comments ??