Well, it seems that the Zoom meeting is here to stay for a while. Let’s get it right! First, find yourself a workspace that feels professional yet honours the homey environment its set in. Inject bits of yourself into your home office. Adding greenery and one or two personal items will do this. But remember that your professional side needs to show through.
If Zoom calls are a part of your work week then take a good look at what’s behind you. Clean up shelving. A clutter free background ensures that your message will be heard. Too much going on behind you is distracting.
Putting yourself in the best light is essential when much of your interpersonal work is done virtually. Nothing beats natural lighting for this. Ideally placing yourself in a side lit position will be optimal. If that’s not possible then find a good soft lighting lamp that can shine evenly on you. Don’t position yourself so that the lighting is behind you, you’ll just fade into darkness.
Background colours make a big difference to how you appear on screen. Think earth tones. Warm neutrals, sage greens and grey blues are ideal paint colour selections. The soft colours offer some strength for you to sit against but you won’t bounce off them. Even better they won’t bounce off you. Steer away from primary colours. Strong tones will offer distracting background noise, which isn’t at all what anyone needs right now.
Mary Taggart
