Camera On or Camera Off?

Camera on or camera off?  I know many of you are tired of video meetings but is it because of the “on camera” stress (also referred to as zoom fatigue) or is it that the camera is an unwanted accountability partner?  Like many of you, I love to be efficient with my time and every-so-often I’ve been known to multitask. As a matter of fact, I love to do two things at once, but only when doing one doesn’t impact the other. That’s the problem with the camera, it prevents us from doing two things at once.  

Unfortunately, when it comes to multitasking during a meeting, it is likely that the second thing you’re doing is preventing you from doing the first thing you’re supposed to be doing (being fully present in the video meeting).  We all like to pretend that we aren’t distracted, how much more efficient would our video meetings be if we were all fully present. What if when our names were called we knew what was being asked of us in the context of the discussion that was underway.  What if we were able to absorb the entire meeting and quickly point out inconsistencies or watch outs with what was being presented so that we could be more efficient as a collective?  What if we were all actively taking notes so that the next time the topic came up we all were prepared to pick right up where we left off?  Wouldn’t we be much more efficient overall?

Of course there are times when having your video on may be more distracting to the other members of the meeting then having it off. Maybe you are in an environment where what’s happening around you is not distracting to you but might be to someone watching. Maybe you are mobile and having the video on could be distracting or even dangerous to you.  Maybe you are in a location where it would be inappropriate to have a camera on (and no, I’m not specifically talking about the bathroom, but please don’t ever call in from the bathroom!).  

What isn’t on my list is not being “camera ready”. I don’t have that on the list because I cannot come up with a good reason why, as a professional person in a scheduled meeting you would not be in a position to be on camera during expected business hours.  I’m not saying that you have to have on full hair, make up, fancy clothes, but are you really ready to do your best work if you are in your pajamas?  I’ve been known to go to meetings both in person and on video still sweaty from a workout, so don’t let that be your excuse.

Another excuse I refuse to acknowledge is when people tell me that they don’t like the way they look on camera. Welcome to the club…I would be willing to bet that most of us don’t like the way we look on camera. It is no different than hearing yourself on an audio recording, most of us are not camera trained and therefore don’t love it. If this is your go-to excuse, let me tell you what I have noticed over the last two years - Everyone is worried about how they look on camera, and as a result they spend much more time looking at themselves than they spend looking at you. 

Your camera being on is much more important than what is on your camera.  By turning your camera on, you get to build closer relationships with your coworkers (humans by nature are visual) because it is easier to bond with people we see.  By turning your camera on, you make it more lasting impression with the other attendees on the phone. You are no longer a disembodied voice or a little motionless icon. By turning your camera on, you show the other attendees that you respect their time and that you will be present and engaged. And by turning your camera on, you have engaged with a painful accountability partner known as other people's eyeballs to help you make good choices with your time.

If we were in the real world instead of a virtual one, you would not be taking a meeting while sitting in a conference room. And you would think twice before texting, emailing, or working on a presentation for your next meeting during the one you were attending live.   Yes, we all know those people who did this prior to the pandemic, maybe you were one of them, but you also knew that it was part of your brand, good bad or otherwise. When you make the decision to multitask, there are consequences even if those consequences are your brand and reputation.  

So I’m going to ask again, what is your reason for not turning on the camera?  Seriously, I’d love to hear it!