Putting one mask on, but taking another one off
We all have masks. Whether we care to admit it or not. Consciously or unconsciously. And whilst we are being urged to wear masks to protect our health and the health of those around us, it seems we’re losing the invisible masks that were there before the days of PPE and face coverings.
Hands up who’s been on a Zoom call (other platforms are available!) over the last 4 months and someone's child / pet / partner has walked into the room going about their own business. What was once seen as unprofessional and embarrassment has turned into acceptance and, in some cases even interaction with said child / pet / partner.
It was only back in 2017 that Robert Kelly’s child wandered into the room in South Korea where Robert was being interviewed live on BBC news, chased after by a horrified housekeeper. Not only was he embarrassed but so was the newsreader. Fast forward only 3 years later to 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic and Dr Clare Wenham was being interviewed by the BBC as her daughter Scarlett waltzed in looking for a place to put her very important unicorn drawing. This time, rather than brush the interruption off, Christian Fraser, the news presenter asked what her name was and spoke to Scarlett about the drawing. The fact is, the interruption by Scarlett makes Dr Wenham no less qualified or professional. But it makes her real. She’s not only a Doctor but she's also a Mum and she’s human.
This is what having to work from home has afforded us. The opportunity to see people in more real terms. Seeing people in their natural habitats. The background on a zoom call can give us an insight into someone’s world on a deeper level than we’ve previously known them. Take a look at people’s bookcases, plants, ornaments, pictures and photos. They all tell a story of that person. That person is more than their job title. More than the clients they deal with. I bet you know more about some of your colleagues that you did before lockdown in some way. My fiance's team has some fun guessing whether someone's microwave door is going to be open or closed each day and has become a bit of daily fun and lightheartedness during team calls. It’s the little things after all.
What it’s also done is make people feel more accessible. Speaking to the CEO or your manager from their living room or kitchen makes them more human too. They’re no longer the elusive person, sitting in their ivory tower. They’re just the same as you and me. Yes they might live in a larger/more expensive/grander/more modern (delete as appropriate!) house, but it allows us to better connect and reduces that out of reach perception of some senior executives.
And it's not just about Zoom. We've had to work harder to communicate in general. We've had to be more honest about so many things.
I’ve also seen examples of people being more open and honest on social media. People that have previously never discussed their mental or physical health / job challenges / financial worries / family situations before but choosing to openly share how they are feeling. It’s a brave step to make for many and I know for many it won’t have been easy but I’m so glad people feel more able to do this. I know it inspires and helps others. It’s inspired and helped me on many occasions. Again, it feels like we can be more human, be more open about our own situations and experiences and remove the mask we have all so willingly carried around for so long.
If we continue in this way, I wonder what the impact would be on our mental health. I wonder how our relationships and how we treat each other might change for the better because we understand each other more. In return, I wonder what the impact this would have on us at work. Increased performance? More engaged teams? Improved culture? Who knows. It feels like there’s a greater amount of empathy around both personally and professionally and I hope that continues to grow.
So here’s to continued Zoom interruptions. Here’s to encouraging more openness and honesty without fear offline and online. Here’s to being more human and removing the corporate and personal masks we so often feel we have to wear. Put the virus protecting mask on, but I encourage you to take the other one off.
JH