In my little corner of the internet, things got very heated last Wednesday afternoon when a New York Times article about “videoconference etiquette” started making the rounds. The standout pull quote warned video conferencers to keep their kids and pets from appearing on screen.
Twitter was outraged– “I want to see your kids!” “Show me your dog!” “People’s pets are the only reason I show up for these meetings!”
The only rule I’m standing behind today is this: let’s all give each other as much grace and understanding as possible. If your colleague’s dog needs to go out, or his kid wanders through the room, or another co-worker is hoping everyone can stay really focused so she can get what she needs from this meeting and sign off, that’s all legitimate.
Remember, all you can see is what’s in that small rectangle. All these people have lots of stuff going on just offscreen, out of sight. We’re all doing the best we can.
Ignite CSP can create specialized coaching for your team’s meetings!
