staring at the sun gives you superpowers

#Staring at the sun gives you superpowers professional#

Record meetings and make them accessible to everyone.įrom eating to moving around, what’s acceptable to one might be offensive to another. It may not be necessary for everyone to join, but you should always keep employees in the loop. To avoid information gaps, make sure to appoint a chairman in each meeting to be in charge of the meeting agenda. If you work in a large organisation, split the meetings up into two or more groups. There should be no more that 15 people (preferably less) in order for everyone to engage and have the opportunity to participate. Because of this, we have to limit the number of people on the call to make it interactive. When we’re video conferencing we can’t look around the room to connect with people the way we can if we’re in a conference room. This is also better for those you are engaging with, since it simulates eye contact. Look into the camera and let your image blend into the background.Doing this will help you focus on what you need to be focusing on - the meeting. There is usually an option to make your image small and the speaker’s face large. Most platforms have the options of changing the video settings in your online meeting room to only see your remote colleagues. Before you decide to turn off your camera, try this: Not engaging in the call might come across as disinterest and people may say you’re not a team player. While this may be challenging to overcome, it is important that you find ways to make it easier for you. Because of this, the human brain just isn’t programmed to like seeing ourselves on video. In other words, most of our time is spent looking at the faces of other people…unless we’re staring into a mirror. Our life’s view is not of ourselves but of others. Check that the settings on your device are correct and support the following before going into a virtual meeting: Nothing’s more irritating than someone fumbling around trying to figure things out. If your room is your office, get a room divider and make sure you’ve tidied before hopping on that call.

#Staring at the sun gives you superpowers professional#

A bed in the background, disarray, and people walking around behind you are all things that can also be off-putting and not very professional is some situations. Make sure you are in a quiet space before hopping on the call. The sound of traffic, people chatting, kids screaming, and dogs barking are all things that can be disruptive and annoying, especially if there’s more than one person on the line with bad background noise. Be sure to pull down blinds if the sun is shining in, don’t have your back to the window, and switch on some soft lights before entering your meeting. If people only see your silhouette, they’re likely to lose interest in what you’re saying. Science shows that if you’re backlit or in the dark, the level of engagement decreases. Some things to take into account before you go into a meeting: What’s that behind you? Noises, objects, and poor lighting are distractions in online meetings and can be really frustrating for those on the call with you. Try platforms that require less, such as: Many people use Skype or Link, which require a lot of bandwidth. In order to simulate the office, high bandwidth is essential otherwise, you’ll waste too much time just trying to connect to the call. There’s nothing more frustrating than a weak Internet connection, especially in an online meeting.

Having the right tools and knowledge, however, can make the process more seamless. While it may come with many perks, there are also some challenges to overcome.

Using video to simulate an office makes it easier to engage with your teammates, build trust, and create a sense of camaraderie. As more and more companies go remote first, video conferencing is becoming the norm.