I was asked to be a member of a newly established Advisory Council for a Non-Profit Organization focused on advocating for children who are the victims of neglect and abuse.
The orientation meeting was scheduled for February during the Omicron spike in cases so it was not clear until the last minute that the meeting would be virtual or in-person. It ended up being in-person and for the first time in over two years, I was going to walk into a room with other people.
While I had prided myself on bringing all of my effective habits and best practices from being in countless meetings and training throughout my career, I always knew intuitively that there was something missing by being a thumbnail on a screen.
When I arrived for the event, the first person I saw in the lobby greeted each other with smiles and a hug just like we had for the last time over two years ago. We picked up where we left off at the last in-person event.
When I walked into the meeting room, I told the woman who was showing me in that I sit strategically in rooms so I needed to get a feel for it before I found my spot. She smiled and followed me to a seat in the back on the left for the presenter. We sat down and began to talk with each other about the organization’s mission and how excited she was for the new advisory council.
I realized upon reflection on my drive home that sitting strategically was never an option in video meetings. I had no control over where my thumbnail would show up on the Brady Bunch Matrix. It all seemed so random as I thought about it more.
Another realization that I had after being in the room with about 25 people was the video meeting setting had become my comfort zone for the past two years and by being in person, I had once again gone outside my comfort zone. For me, that always signals growth!!!
The etiquette on a video meeting is in many ways very different from the manners we are expected to demonstrate while in an in-person meeting. It was refreshing to be in a meeting and not hear those inevitable words, you are on mute we can’t what you.
I am grateful for the fact that the effective habits that we developed while in meeting rooms with other people are getting a chance to wake up and come to work again.
Some people think there will be a challenge in returning to in-person events and while that might be true, I prefer to believe that I am as prepared as ever to go back into these rooms and sit strategically, get out of my comfort zone, and mind my manners.
In the event that I need to take a break from the meeting, I need only remind myself that the camera is on while I am in the room, and leaving the room is the equivalent of going off video for a bio break or to grab a drink or snack.
Lastly, and likely most importantly for many of us is to dress professionally from head to toe when we go back out into the world of in-person meetings. Gone will be the days of wearing shorts or sweats with a button-down shirt and blazer or a blouse and jacket. For some of us, this might be the most challenging part of returning to the office.
Remind yourself of whatever it is that you need to support as you make your way back into the in-person experiences with people who are larger than life and the thumbnail they have been on your screen for the past two years.
Where will you sit when you go back into a meeting room?
How will you push yourself out of your comfort zone when you return to in-person meetings?
What manners will matter the most when you are interacting with other people in person?
With much gratitude…
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: Shutterstock
