Remember the times when meetings were exclusively face-to-face, filled with coffee aroma and the shuffle of printed reports? Oh, the simple joys of actually recognizing Bob from Accounting without the need of a name tag hovering below his face. But then, 2020 hit, and with it, the world made a collective groan of "Can you hear me?" as video calls became the next big thing.
Zoom became our reluctant hero. An unprecedented surge in remote work had us adapting to this newfound marvel of technology. And let's admit, we have all fallen prey to its quirks: the accidental muted microphone, the phantom hand-raiser, or the slightly too-realistic virtual beach background.
Yet, it's been a game changer. No more travel expenses for a simple 15-minute chit-chat, no more renting out cavernous, often suffocating, conference rooms. Now, we hover our cursors over a link and, voila, we're in Rome... or at least, that's what our virtual background says.
On one hand, the tactile human experience is undeniable. Physical presence can be warm, genuine, and irreplaceable. On the other, video conferencing, especially via platforms like Zoom, brings unparalleled convenience. Get a taste of Paris in the morning with a client and swing by Tokyo for a team catch-up in the afternoon. All while still in your pyjamas.
However, as Sherry Turkle pointed out in a 'MIT Technology Review' piece, the "COVID-induced video conferencing boom comes with a sentiment of ambiguity." Some claim video calls are just as good, if not better, than face-to-face interactions. Others believe they're an unsatisfying surrogate for genuine human connection."
So, where does that leave us? Do we embrace our screens, forever being pixels apart? Or do we return to coffee-infused meeting rooms, battling calendar conflicts and overbooked conference rooms? Perhaps, as with most things in life, balance is key.
End Note: Still, there's something quite comedic about yearning for a return to 'normalcy' when our present scenario offers such limitless possibilities. If we can launch rockets into space, surely, we can strike a balance between video calls and that much-missed human touch?
I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post. If something resonates with you and you are ready to reach out, here is a link to my calendar: