Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 12:00     Subject: Never has camera on in zooms.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:When I pass by my housemate’s office - he never has camera on but I see a screen of heads.

I do hear him talking - but but never camera on.



So I do wonder if others think, but it’s not my business obviously. Just curious if he was shooting self on foot.


DP. The only way to not shoot yourself in the foot with this is if there are definable goals that can be measured, and that you are meeting all goals, if not outright out performing.

One of the problems for companies is most don't have the tools to measure performance. (Someone was on DCUM yesterday concerned that there is no way to show that HE is performing, and others aren't, since the measurement is of the team as a whole, and team as a whole is not performing. He is getting his goals accomplished, then others aren't. And no way to show that he is getting his work accomplished.)

Anyway, plenty of people will put in minimal effort, and WFH makes this easier to do. For those of us who want to succeed and move up, then every thing we can do to show we are actively working and succeeding is important.


Aren’t you silly. Metrics make it easier to goof off.

My favorite at end of quarter went into my Jira roadmap at 11:30 pm on last day of quarter flipped everything to done. Waited 1-2 hours for system to process and lock end of quarter metrics. That was locked in performance management system. At 3am I went back into Jira and changed status back. My boss would see 78 percent let’s say both days. But HR captured 100 percent.

I think metrics are a scam. People hit the metric and stop working
Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 11:57     Subject: Never has camera on in zooms.
Anonymous wrote:Only slackers leave it offf (other than in meetings where you are not going to speak).


I promise you, no one thinks you're hot. Turn it off.
Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 11:56     Subject: Never has camera on in zooms.
Anonymous wrote:As a manager, I set expectations of when I want cameras on. Important external meeting? Your cameras need to be on. One on one meeting with me or other coworkers? No need to turn it on. I do expect that the camera is on for our weekly staff meeting. My staff is small and it's part of getting to know each other.

I've found that dysfunctional places generally are cameras off kinds of places.


Then allow your employees unrestricted access to their office. Oh, what's that? Corporate says that's not allowed? Then I guess I'm having hardware issues IT can't seem to figure out.
Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 11:55     Subject: Never has camera on in zooms.
Only slackers leave it offf (other than in meetings where you are not going to speak).
Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 11:55     Subject: Never has camera on in zooms.
Anonymous wrote:They have two jobs or in pajamas in bed.




Nope. I just don't feel like brushing my hair.
Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 11:54     Subject: Never has camera on in zooms.
As a manager, I set expectations of when I want cameras on. Important external meeting? Your cameras need to be on. One on one meeting with me or other coworkers? No need to turn it on. I do expect that the camera is on for our weekly staff meeting. My staff is small and it's part of getting to know each other.

I've found that dysfunctional places generally are cameras off kinds of places.
Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 11:54     Subject: Never has camera on in zooms.
I assume they are distracted and doing other things, but my company has a very strong culture of cameras on unless it’s a particularly large meeting (>10-15 people). Even in large meetings, those speaking or presenting are generally always going to turn cameras on or clarify why they can’t (eg, in transit).
Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 11:52     Subject: Re:Never has camera on in zooms.
With a client - cameras on, at least for the first few minutes. Can go off if it turns into a slide deck.

Internal, no client - camera off, especially if there are more than a few people.
Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 11:49     Subject: Never has camera on in zooms.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I do camera on unless it's a huge listen only meeting or last minute and I don't feel camera ready. On those rare occasions I try to speak up a bit more so they know I'm paying attention.


+1. Seeing each other's faces matters especially in a remote environment, IMO. People aren't disembodied voices and it helps build relationships with each other as people.


I generally agree with this and I do turn my camera on - but - we absolutely built relationships over telephone, just a few years ago. Lots of us worked with people we never met, using just phone and email. It was fine.

Just as with telephone conferences, there are meetings where you're actively participating, and some where you listen in silence as part of a big group. Camera is not necessary for the latter but there is this trend of requiring it in the name of "relationships" and that's BS. I'm in 9 meetings today: let me fix my lunch while I listen in silence to yours.


I'm the PP and I agree there's nuance. If I'm a back-bencher in a large meeting, I'm muted and camera off. If I'm a participant, it's camera on. There's room for cameras off, but now that I'm fully remote as is my team I do think as a regular practice it helps to see one another at least a few times per week.
Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 11:47     Subject: Never has camera on in zooms.
They have two jobs or in pajamas in bed.


Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 11:39     Subject: Never has camera on in zooms.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I do camera on unless it's a huge listen only meeting or last minute and I don't feel camera ready. On those rare occasions I try to speak up a bit more so they know I'm paying attention.


+1. Seeing each other's faces matters especially in a remote environment, IMO. People aren't disembodied voices and it helps build relationships with each other as people.


I generally agree with this and I do turn my camera on - but - we absolutely built relationships over telephone, just a few years ago. Lots of us worked with people we never met, using just phone and email. It was fine.

Just as with telephone conferences, there are meetings where you're actively participating, and some where you listen in silence as part of a big group. Camera is not necessary for the latter but there is this trend of requiring it in the name of "relationships" and that's BS. I'm in 9 meetings today: let me fix my lunch while I listen in silence to yours.
Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 11:35     Subject: Never has camera on in zooms.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Our culture is generally cameras off. I think cameras-on people are kind of aggressive and attention seeking.


+100


Yeah, where I work the camera-on people are mostly just people who like being seen.
Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 11:27     Subject: Never has camera on in zooms.
< 10 people, I think cameras should be on.

Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 11:25     Subject: Never has camera on in zooms.
My company-provided laptop is so old that there is no camera.
Anonymous
Post 10/18/2023 11:24     Subject: Never has camera on in zooms.
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:When I pass by my housemate’s office - he never has camera on but I see a screen of heads.

I do hear him talking - but but never camera on.



So I do wonder if others think, but it’s not my business obviously. Just curious if he was shooting self on foot.


DP. The only way to not shoot yourself in the foot with this is if there are definable goals that can be measured, and that you are meeting all goals, if not outright out performing.

One of the problems for companies is most don't have the tools to measure performance. (Someone was on DCUM yesterday concerned that there is no way to show that HE is performing, and others aren't, since the measurement is of the team as a whole, and team as a whole is not performing. He is getting his goals accomplished, then others aren't. And no way to show that he is getting his work accomplished.)

Anyway, plenty of people will put in minimal effort, and WFH makes this easier to do. For those of us who want to succeed and move up, then every thing we can do to show we are actively working and succeeding is important.