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TD Magazine

3 Questions to Ask Before Turning Off Your Webcam

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

After nonstop virtual calls, you may want to keep your webcam off during a meeting, but you could be doing yourself more harm than good. Ask yourself these questions to determine whether video is imperative.

1. Does the meeting require your collaboration?

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If so, then you want to be able to participate as fully as possible, which means attendees both seeing and hearing you. Your input's impact will diminish if you are only a disembodied voice.

2. How well do you know the attendees?

If you know your fellow participants well, you may not need to have your video on, especially if it is a regularly scheduled gathering such as a weekly standup. However, if new people are on the call, let them be able to put a face with a name.

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3. How big is the meeting?

If it's large, say a company town hall where speakers are sharing information but don't expect interaction, you can keep your camera off. In a small meeting, attendees' head nods and other nonverbals enable the speaker to better read the room.

About the Author

Joseph A. Allen is a professor of industrial and organizational psychology and a meeting scientist. With Karin Reed, he is co-author of Suddenly Hybrid: Managing the Modern Meeting and Suddenly Virtual: Making Remote Meetings Work.

About the Author

Karin Reed is an executive communications specialist and CEO of Speaker Dynamics. With Joseph A. Allen, she is co-author of Suddenly Hybrid: Managing the Modern Meeting and Suddenly Virtual: Making Remote Meetings Work.

3 Comments
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I just sent this to my team, thank you for this quick tip!
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Love this! Thank you for sharing. I also will be sharing on my social media platforms.
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I hear this topic regularly. This is a great checklist to send participants.
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