Cameras on policy for all our courses
Have you ever thought about the impact of being the only person with the camera switched on during a meeting?
Imagine, you are invited to a virtual meeting with e.g. four people. You have spoken to them before but you don’t know them very well. You join the meeting with your camera on and realize you are the only one with it switched on. The others are ‘invisible” and continue the meeting. We all have been there.
The impact is more than just a small inconvenience.
Effective communication uses our faces and bodies, not just words. Your visibility, whilst your colleagues are invisible creates an imbalance, which will cause you to use more energy during the meeting than the others. You may also feel more exposed if this is a difficult conversation or you are trying to persuade your colleagues. If this is a negotiation (95% of conversations are), you will start at a disadvantage, especially if there are different levels of authority (professional hierarchy) during the meeting (e.g. during a job interview).
I am not telling you to switch your camera off. I just want you to be prepared the next time you experience this.
At GeoModes we have a “camera on” policy for all our courses. This creates balance among the participants, boosts communication, and enhances the learning experience.