Unmute yourself
How humanizing our video calls can save 2021
We’re not Zoom newbies anymore. So I think it’s time to break one of the two basic rules of online meeting etiquette:
- Turn on your camera
- Keep your microphone always on mute
I have nothing to complain about rule number 1: being in a meeting with a gallery of black squares ◼ is pretty lame.
So let’s discuss rule number 2:
Why you were asked to be on mute
There are the obvious reasons: you have a terrible PC built-in microphone, the neighbours just started their trombone practice, it’s 6.00PM and the cat is howling for food, and as for the kids trashing their rooms…yep, just another normal evening.
All good reasons for staying on mute.
But now look around you. These last months of lockdown have taught you a thing or two. You’ve finally managed to adapt to this new remote life! You’ve bought a proper headset, the guest-room has been turned into a quiet den, even your mom is now using Skype like a pro.
Looks like you’re ready for what I’m gonna ask of you now:
Don’t stay on mute
One year ago, most video calls were about 30 minutes max, so you could pretend to be actively listening to that boring monologue from your boss in muted bliss. But in today’s world, where remote work is our new life, we need to work together over longer periods of time. We can’t get anything done in just 30 minutes anymore. We need to make our video calls a normal way of working, longer and less formalized, because we need to accept that this is the way we’re going to get things done — for the immediate future at least.
Real-life is not polished, so don’t try to be perfect on screen.
In my experience, being on mute kills real-life interaction. It kills the energy, the good vibe that you are trying to create by bringing everyone together.
The reason is very simple: when you’re on mute, you’re always one click and a few laggy seconds away from being heard. It delays your ability to say something, ask a question, murmur in approval, or sigh. These little noises are 100% part of life but are lost when everyone is on mute.
As a speaker, facilitator or teacher there’s nothing harder than to engage with a silent audience. You can’t “feel” the room. It’s like talking to a wall.
I see a lot of tips and tricks around to run better remote sessions: “Add little games or icebreakers”, “Have you thought about making people dance?” and so on.
Well, you could do that if that’s your thing. But why not try asking people to unmute first. Sometimes that’s all it takes.
The next time you feel stuck in a boring, muted meeting, just try this:
Hit that unmute button and say something, ask a question, or even just clap.
The magic of human interaction just happened! Thanks to people like you, 2021 could be a better year for all.
