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Webcams: On or off? If you ask people to use them, be tactful – and get results! [Video] ·
Do you ever ask people to turn on their webcams in Zoom or Teams?
How do you tend to ask – and do people respond well?
For tips and insights, you might like the 2-minute video below. (It comes from the authors of the book Crucial Conversations, which has sold over five million copies.)
Intrigued about the book? You can download a 30-page excerpt (which you’ll find in the red section above the footer of that web page).
I absolutely love the tips and insights shared in the book and related videos. And this tiny clip from co-author Emily Gregory is one of my favourites.
It contains less than 500 words. Yet it shares 3 tips to help you get the best outcome if you ask people to turn on their webcams. That is, the best outcome in terms of both:
People conforming
More importantly, guarding your culture
That’s because it helps build psychological safety. And that has a huge impact on how effective you, your team, and even your whole organisation are. (Unlike webcam use!)
I especially like the perspective of this great line, from near the end of the video:
“Understand that this is your preferencecoming up against their preference,and they get that choice” Emily Gregory (at 2:12)
Some drawbacks of webcams
Bear in mind, people can have various reasons to stay off-camera. Naturally, there’s their grooming, as the video mentioned.
But what about if they have a slow internet connection that’d drop out due to the webcam’s load?
Or, maybe their room layout has the camera facing a window, so their face would be too dark to see anyway – and they’d rather not look that unprofessional!
The scourge of “vulgar video”
You might even regret asking people to use their webcams
Sometimes, you might even regret asking people to use their webcams. For example, that can happen with what you might call “vulgar video”.
By that I mean an embarrassing situation, like seeing someone in the bathroom. Or – more commonly – where their video shows movement, which keeps yanking other people’s attention away from your topic.
For instance, someone might:
Be exercising while on webcam
Have their phone’s camera on while walking to the meeting
After all, moving images are extremely distracting!
Your turn
I’d say there are plenty of reasons why webcams aren’t always helpful or appropriate.
But what’s your view? I’d love to know whether you ask people to use their webcams. And have you ever been surprised by what you’ve seen?
Have your say in the .
By the way…
Maybe you’re wondering how much to use your webcam when you’re a speaker at an online event. If so, see these pros and cons of speakers using webcams.
There, you’ll find these speaking-coaches in favour of speakers using webcams:
And these against, to a greater or lesser extent:
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