'And then the phone fell into the bath': why it is so difficult to work from home during quarantine

“Last week, during a video meeting, a colleague had her half-naked boyfriend walking behind her,” says communications consultant Jason Nisse. This example well illustrates the pitfalls of videoconferencing, a technology that thousands of people are getting used to when trying to work from home, writes Air force.

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Some situations really need drastic help. For example, a financial services employee at one company received the following warning via corporate email: “Your computer monitor is being monitored and we can see you watching porn between search queries.”

Teleconferencing services such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet are reporting a sharp increase in the number of users.

For many of us, this is a completely new way of working, which we need to adapt to.

Do you hear me?

The quality of communication, technical problems and, of course, the ineptitude of users add confusion during video meetings.

Having made sure that everyone understands how the program works, you can save a huge amount of time.

In addition, some leaders have already realized that staff who often do not need to be there are often involved in meetings.

And reducing the number of participants in a video conference reduces the level of unwanted noise. One is breathing heavily, another is sniffling or coughing, a third’s dog is barking or the doorbell is ringing - all these unpleasant additional sounds can be removed by turning off the microphone.

Here is another example of a not very pleasant situation.

“One day a client was talking to me from the bathroom, and I heard splashing water and the tap running. Then he realized that the microphone was on and the phone slipped from his hands into the bathtub. There was a gurgling, gurgling and splashing sound in my pipe. The client jumped out of the bath to get another phone, slipped and fell down the stairs,” recalls Neil Henderson from Zurich Insurance.

On the subject: Office noise generator: a site was created for those who are unusual to work from home

Who is the moderator?

During an online meeting, one should be in charge of organizing it. This should be a person who can put the conversation on the right track when the discussion drops to the level of office toilet paper.

Steve Parks from the digital agency Convivio says this is reminiscent of a talk show moderator.

“This person is responsible for timing, distribution of the discussion between the “guests,” questions for the audience, the pace and dynamics of the process,” he says.

Television and radio producers always work on this principle, building programs. Each question has its own time limits, goals and possible additional points that need to be considered.

It is advisable to draw up an agenda in advance and familiarize participants with it. This will help to better organize the meeting and at the same time observe the time limit without turning it into a booth.

“During normal communication, people sometimes speak at the same time. But this is impossible in video conference mode, because the conversation turns into an incomprehensible hum. And poor connectivity exacerbates the problem,” explains Chris Hurst, chief executive of media company Havas Global, which has been working remotely since the coronavirus outbreak began in China.

“Besides, our communication is mostly non-verbal. And during video conferences this is usually lost, so the moderator must constantly remember this,” says Hurst.

Frame view

Don't forget that a video meeting is part of the work process, so you should look neat and decent on camera, at least your upper body.

BBC cameraman Tracey Langford recommends placing your laptop on top of a pile of books so that it is at eye level.

“Looking down is not very pleasant,” she notes. “So remember to look at the top of the screen—where the camera is—not at the screen itself.”

A few words about lighting.

Tracy advises placing a light source just above the face.

“You shouldn’t illuminate one part of the face from the window and the other with internal light. Pick one,” she says.

Also think about the interior in the frame behind you. An unmade bed, clothes dryer, or bathroom detergent looks weird and spoils the business atmosphere.

But comic, sometimes even absurd situations during video meetings are also useful, says Ben Todd of Rolls Royce.

“I don’t mind extraneous sounds. I like to listen to children playing, the TV on or the dog barking. It reminds us that we are all human,” he says.

Melinda de Boer, director of communications for a global brand, agrees: “Many times, my colleagues saw me casting stern glances at my two sons wandering around the room where I was trying to work via Skype. Colleagues say that they themselves were scared every time - it’s just a pity that it didn’t work very well with children!”

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Public response

Due to quarantine, many had to abandon the corporate Friday gatherings in the pub.

However, companies say they are trying to maintain normal daily communication between colleagues and enjoy working.

For example, the British company Etch holds quizzes for clients and employees during lunch breaks, and has also organized a virtual film club and yoga classes. Other companies describe how they dine “together,” with everyone eating at a table in their own home.

If video conferencing isn't your style of work, then you're out of luck, says Chris Hurst, chief executive of media company Havas Global.

“I think the current experience can spur rapid and sustained adoption of technology that allows us to work remotely every day,” he says.

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