The Wacky, Wild, Wonderful World Of Webex™
By David Sussman, CEO PFP | The Family Security Plan®
This is NOT The Twilight Zone. We have been thrust into the wild world of the Webex™ meeting movement.
A world where one corporate officer may say to another, “Terry, meet me in my room!”…Terry responds, “Gladly!” and no one violated a single HR policy. It is a world where you can have an entire meeting, on serious issues, and find yourself staring at someone’s forehead the entire time. The world has certainly changed. The last time I cared about ‘Zoom’ was in 1978 when it aired its final episode. I was 10 years old. (What a great show that was!)
A message to the new world…
It is not great to have a video meeting with you while you are driving in your car. You never look at me, all I see is the underside of your face and I get nauseated watching the trees, clouds and telephone poles fly by your windows. Not cool!
Never before in the history of corporate America, have family pets played such a role in business. No one can think of a time when your primary leadership quality was measured by lighting and camera angles. And never have so many executives, managers and employees struggled with remembering when to have the mute button on or off.
Never before have we needed a “staging” consultant to help our corporate image.
You’ve got to sit the right distance from the camera. You need to have the right background behind you. You need to know how you sound. Why is there a reflection of light off of my head? I look thinner this way. I never knew I had that much skin under my chin! What is that vein protruding out of my neck. Have people been looking at that for years?
Never before have our eyes given away just how distracted we are in mid conversation. They can tell when you are staring at your computer screen. They can tell when you are looking at someone else in the room. They can tell when you are texting (most of the time)
For the first time ever we all get to look at ourselves while we present. And we do!
At least I do. I wonder, do you? I have prided myself on my ability to self reflect. But this is ridiculous. It is a unique time to use the technology and to be critical of what you see. Do you like what you see? Are you willing to change? I am.
What have I noticed? I smile a lot, that is a good thing. I shake my head ever so slightly when I don’t agree, I should change that. My head moves around a lot. My hands flail. I have been told that but WOW! Too much! I look different when I am frustrated, I don’t love the way I look when I am frustrated. Note to self, change that.
The brightest, clearest and most powerful light is the one shining directly on you, while you look in the mirror. The World of Webex has given us that gift. Let us all take the time to laugh. And let us all take the time to learn. Looking forward to ‘seeing’ you soon.
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