By Dr. Wallace Dixon Jr, Executive Director of the SBI

By now many of us have been faced with the decision of whether to have our cameras on or off during our never-ending Zoom meetings, and what to require of others in the meetings we lead.  For those of us who don’t have cameras, the decision is easy. But for those who do, and who have enough internet horsepower, there are many factors which go into our thinking about when to turn them on and when to keep them off.  This was the focus of a couple of recent “Town Hall” events held by the ETSU Ballad Health Strong BRAIN Institute.
 
Cameras on versus cameras off has become a hot topic.  With our camera on, we put ourselves out there. Everyone on the call can see us, but they can also judge us, and maybe fixate on us. Some folks might point out that we’ve always been on display when we’ve attended in-person meetings, and they would be partially right, but mostly wrong. Zoom calls are not the same as in-person meetings. Being on camera in our homes during a pandemic is not the same as showing up well-prepared for an in-person professional meeting or class.
 
Face to face meetings in Zoomlandia are very different than in-person ones, in many ways.  Having your children pop into the meeting unexpectedly is not something that used to happen, but it’s common now.  Kittens mug for the camera, dogs bark at the FedEx delivery, internet glitches freeze our facial expressions in ways that are almost certainly unflattering. But beyond these obvious differences are more subtle ones, ones that can tap into our judgmental natures and in ways that cause us to reveal things about ourselves that we might have preferred to remain private. We might find ourselves asking, “Why is she broadcasting from her bedroom?  Does he realize the paint on those pipes is peeling?  Where is her make-up?  Doesn’t he have a comb?”
 
In addition, Zoom meetings may catapult us into the unfamiliar practice of judging and adjusting our own images.  Constantly looking at ourselves simply didn’t happen in traditional in-person meetings. And it’s exhausting. Fortunately, Zoom provides a feature that allows us to turn off our own virtual image while keeping the camera on for others to see.  Still, many of us have been conditioned to monitor our self-presentations to make sure we look good, or at least that we are in the frame.  Social pressures are intense, even in the virtual world.
 
It is not always our own personal choice whether to have our cameras on or off.  Sometimes there is the added pressure of conforming to the requests of meeting organizers.  Sometimes we are told what to do and that is that.  If what we are told to do aligns with our own personal preferences, then we can be satisfied.  But if what we are told to do goes against our grain, we can become resentful, uncomfortable, or even fearful.  Negative emotions may even interfere with our potential contributions to the meeting and therefore undermine the very reasons we were invited to attend.
 
Our goal in holding our Town Halls was to help promote resilience throughout our region by listening to community stakeholders and to guide discussion toward meaningful and reasonable solutions to the problems associated with having cameras on versus cameras off.  There were a number of key take-aways from our discussions that leaders, meeting organizers, and meeting attendees may wish to take into account as they prepare for their upcoming online meetings.
 
First, throughout each meeting, it is important to provide a safe, accepting, and nonjudgmental space for folks to make their own decision about whether to attend with cameras on versus cameras off.  Safe spaces that promote the growth of resilience, even in the virtual landscape, promote engagement and greater effectiveness during the course of the call.
 
Second, give plenty of grace to those whose presence and efficacy are challenged by life during a pandemic.  Attendees may be working from home; they may have pets, kids, and other family members in the home (and in the camera background); they may have to answer the door; and they may not have the most optimal physical appearance.
 
Third, establish standards of operation, or “comfort agreements,” at the beginning of a call.  These standards and behavioral expectations can be provided on an opening PowerPoint slide or in the chat box, and they should represent the agreed-upon practices expected throughout the call.  They might include prohibitions against eating, lax attire, or being unmuted; they might include rules for engaging in discussion (e.g., raise your hand before unmuting); and they might speak to expectations about having cameras on versus cameras off.  As long as we’re warm and kind in establishing comfort agreements, it’s ok to be strong and in charge in upholding agreed-upon standards of operation.
 
Fourth, especially for recurring meetings, and depending on the size of the group, establish rituals and check-in traditions. For smaller meetings, these can be as simple as inviting attendees to unmute and share a word or a phrase that captures how they are feeling in that moment, or to mention something exciting or fun that happened in the last week. In smaller meetings, it also speeds things along if the meeting host calls on attendees one-by-one. For larger meetings, attendees could be asked to share the same experiences in the chat box. In this case, two or more members of the hosting team can track the contributions and respond to them. Knowing about rituals and traditions helps attendees anticipate what is expected during the call while promoting social connectedness among those in attendance.
 
Fifth, during the course of conversations and discussions, it’s important to “see” and acknowledge individuals for making the contributions they make. (Fun fact: this is important in all meetings).  If it’s a large group, it may even take two or three team members to track whose turn it is to speak, who has their hand up, or who has recently unmuted in preparation for speaking.  We should assume that contributors are doing the best they can while maintaining earnest engagement with the discussion in the context of a pandemic, even if their contributions miss the point or are off the mark.  What about negative or divisive comments?  They can still be recognized, but potentially placed in the “parking lot” for later discussion.  There is a reason for the negative tone of the comments, and it is worth being curious about, but just maybe at a later point in time.
 
In sum, as we navigate through the unfamiliar, uncharted, and sometimes even scary waters of our virtual meeting spaces, it’s important to remember that we are not all the same.  We bring different skill sets, talents, experiences, knowledge bases, and personalities into play. We in the ETSU Ballad Health Strong BRAIN Institute believe that these suggestions will help level the playing field in the service of providing the most efficient, productive, and effective meeting outcomes.