No fear of Videoconferencing
Tags: communication, video, remote, people
Published: 2020-03-15 16:32:50

I'm used to being in an active exchange with my customers, partners, team members, etc.

As a #RemoteWork 'er I rely on video communication with different tools like [Zoom](https://zoom.us), [Skype](https://www.skype.com), [Slack](https://slack.com/), [Spreed.me](https://spreed.me), [Google Hangouts](https://hangouts.google.com), [Microsoft Teams](https://teams.microsoft.com/) and what they are all called 🤷

And this sentence already contains the decisive and important point: **Video**! - in video communication.

My point is that the **visual** and thus the **seeing** and **being seen** is **important** and should be used. Like in a normal meeting in the coffee kitchen or a meeting room.

Because information is transmitted via the spoken word (7%) and body language, body expression (55%), etc. [(1)](#footnote)

But very often I experience a certain _shy_ of this direct communication and especially a _shy_ of turning on one's camera during communication - of showing oneself and being seen. No matter whether it is a planned meeting or a spontaneous _"let's talk about it for a moment"_.

This means that essential information is **lost** and it also feels very boring, **unsocial** and **isolated** to talk to a photo or a dark screen.

Sure, there is also the possibility to communicate only textually; but the **direct communication** is not to be underestimated - and **turning on your camera** certainly not 😉And there's hardly any "excuse" to refrain from this (tools and the hardware are available).

Therefore...

- Uses every opportunity for a **direct conversation**, whether it is with a single person or a group of people.
- Always **turn on** your **camera**.
- **Request to turn on the camera** from/to your call-partner.
- Make sure that you're **well recognizable** (light, the position of the camera).
- Don't **worry** about your appearance (_if you aren't applying as a face model_ 🤣 )
- **Prepare the sound and your camera before a conversation**. Briefly check in the settings if everything works, if you're recognizable, etc. This takes less than 1 minute 😉

And like everything else in life, **it gets easier the more we do it!**

Having the **direct conversation**, whether it's just for a minute or, say, a full pairing session, is priceless. It conveys the spoken words and body language, body expression (even if it is only a camera shot) and creates a **connection** - a connection with/to your counterpart. **It strengthens the relationship, the trust and brings us closer together.**

And as with any conversation, things can be **talked about directly** and any "misunderstandings" can be quickly identified and cleared up/resolved. Because we not only hear what someone says, we also see the other person and communicate at eye level (visually seen).

So...use the direct conversation and **switch on your camera** - **ALWAYS**!

## Sources

- <a name="footnote">(1)</a> [Body language](https://www.berufsstrategie.de/bewerbung-karriere-soft-skills/koerpersprache.php) (German only 🤷‍♂️)
- Photo by [Erik Mclean](https://unsplash.com/@introspectivedsgn) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com)