A lot of businesses these days have embraced the idea of their employees working from home. Due to this remote nature of work, different forms of communication need to be established. Most offices use VoIP phone systems for doing voice calls, but a lot of homes do not have this. What many people have though are webcams and headsets. Couple them with a fast internet connection and you have the recipe for videoconferencing. The ability to see the people you work with even if they are away from you is proof that we have come a long way from the trunk line phones that were the norm just a few decades ago. This also lessens the impact of the lack of physical presence. It works fine as you can still see the reaction on people’s faces. This just means that videoconferencing shows you enough information that you can even catch some emotional clues from people.
All work and no play make Jack a dull boy, and being on video meetings are anything but. Here are the reasons why it keeps work professional while sprinkling a bit of fun factor in there.
It’s Exciting Technology
Think about how videoconferencing works. You can have dozens of people in the same room, each with their own video feeds. You might think that it will bog your internet down, but you are still able to see them in their glory, with nary a slowdown in sight. One theory you can make is that the software is combining all the feeds into one. So since it is seen as just one piece of video, it does not hog much of your internet bandwidth. It is just like you watching a YouTube video.
What is notable about this is how it can excite people. The technology is not that new, but the ease of use is what sells it. It gives a fresh spin to what some people find boring, meetings. People used to dread attending them, but now they can be too eager to jump in.
Play with Backgrounds
So you have built yourself a computer with decent specs and the right peripherals to make sure that it is capable of handling videoconferencing. You set it all up and then fire it up. The first thing you see is the feed of your camera showing you and your dirty room. But do not worry about it, because you can switch to a virtual background. You can go and download pictures that can transport you to a clean office, beautiful outdoor settings, or even fantastic fictional locales. Or you can do without it and fix your room, and show everyone how organized you are at home.
Frame Yourself Nicely
Working from home gives you some liberties that you did not have when you were still working at an office. One of those is wearing what you want. Whereas before you really had to scramble for time because it takes a lot to choose what you want to wear, this time you are not as pressured. You might think that at home you can work in your pajamas, but that is not advisable. Being professional is still the name of the game here, and you still need to look dapper in front of the camera. You still can get away with a few things though. Your top could be the fanciest or classiest suit or blazer that you own, but at the bottom, you could be wearing the softest sweatpants you have ever owned. It may be acceptable for many, but you are on your own if people ask you to show how your lower half looks like.
Videoconferencing these days is fast, easy, and fun. There are lots of ways you can play around not just with the software but also on how you want to present yourself. Remember that being professional is also a state of mind. Do all that you can to look snappy for your colleagues, even if you are away from each other.
