Your Side, My Side -

Why Do We Do This?

Ever noticed how almost every Zoom call starts the same way?

?? "Anyone else from your side joining?"

?? "That’s all from our side."

?? "Over to your side now."

It’s subtle, but from the moment we log in, we’re dividing the room—virtually. Even in collaborative discussions, we instinctively split into teams: us vs. them. But why?

Maybe it’s habit. Maybe it’s how business has always been structured. But in a world where we preach collaboration, shouldn't we rethink how we frame our conversations?

What If We Changed the Script?

Here are a few simple tweaks to make Zoom calls feel more like a unified team effort:

?? Drop the "sides." Instead of "Anyone else from your side?", try "Are we waiting on anyone else?" It keeps things neutral and inclusive.

?? Use "we" more often. Shift from "That’s all from our side." to "That’s everything we wanted to share." Small change, big impact.

?? Kick things off as one team. Instead of a passive "Let’s get started," try "Let’s work through this together." It sets a collaborative tone right away.

These small language shifts may not seem like much, but they help reinforce that we’re all working toward the same goal—whether we’re across the world or just across the screen.

What do you think?

Have you noticed this “sides” habit on your calls?

Let’s break it together.

Check out our podcast The Habit Architect for more discussions about habits that make up our lives. https://www.buzzsprout.com/2435802