Variance: Your Camera is Hot

Let's talk about the little green light. The one on your computer when the video is live. It tells you the camera is hot and that means you are "on." Some of us are incredibly aware of this light, some choose to ignore it, and others avoid it altogether by turning the video off. Wherever you fall on this spectrum, I'd love to encourage to take door number one - engagement.

That light, more importantly the camera itself, represents people. Actual people you work with, or for -- people you would like to see you in a certain way. In-person, we have all sorts of non-verbal tools to establish our presence, and impact other's perception of who we are and what we know. At this moment -- we have cameras, microphones, and speakers. You can certainly improve the quality of these tools but they still require you. What you can truly control is your engagement.

How clear you are, the energy you are directing towards the available tools, your attention and intention -- even when you aren't speaking. Because this remains true, interested and engaged people are most interesting and engaging. And sadly, empty windows, turned off camera feeds, and attendees who appear distracted are neither.

I don't need to tell you that this is exhausting, especially if you are an introvert like me, so pace yourself. Not every meeting needs the same level of focus. But your strongest impact is going to align with your focused attention. I am spending a lot of time treating that green light as a friend I need to reach. It seems a little silly but it is effective. Give it a try.