Is anyone else finding that they can mute themselves in team meetings and they're not missed?!

[Impiz]

My company (public sector) LOVE a good meeting. We even have meetings to plan meetings. It's ridiculous and I resent the amount of time we have to waste on them.

Anyway over the last few weeks these meetings have gone on to Microsoft Teams. I'm finding that I can mute my microphone and switch off my video and get on with some other work for 1.5-2 hours. Albeit with one ear on the meeting on the off-chance that I'm spoken to by name, but I haven't been yet.

It's brilliant!

Am I the only one who's doing this?!

I’ve taken to doing this on zoom, most of the meetings are totally pointless and I hate that they’re first thing in the morning. I work best in the evening and have now given up on getting out of bed for them, I set the alarm for 10 minutes before the meeting and then just listen in whilst in bed with camera off and mute on!

Here's a good tip:
When you turn the camera off it shows either a blank or your profile picture. Take a picture from your monitor with you working hard at your desk and use this as your profile picture. I went a whole year of Teams meetings with the camera off and no-one noticed.

someone did this this morning - he nearly always uses video, but switched to just his photo - the someone asked him something, he'd gone, twenty + people shouting "Fred - where are you" (name changed)

Turn off camera, mute self, turn up volume, clean/ do some decluttering/ tidy/ dust etc while listening to the meeting, contribute only if you're called on. Sorted, as long as you're not the "A" on the RACI!

This video is brilliant, a man made an AI version of himself to attend remote meetings and hilarity ensues:

I bloody wish! Everyone loves the video conferences where I’m at.

Yes it’s fairly normal to do this when there are a lot of meeting attendees and there’s nothing on the agenda for you / you don’t have any concerns.

Muting yourself when you're not talking is best otherwise there's always someone heavy breathing / rustling / slurping etc, which is just annoying.

I usually have a nod in an armchair.

I’m a psychotherapist and when I’m working with a client or my supervisor, obviously they have my full attention. If in a general meeting (often just a load of chit chat, related to work or my voluntary activities) then I train the camera on my head and shoulders while getting on with my crocheting out of view. Things like church I choose the You Tube option so I can just watch and listen. When the kids and grandkids FaceTime, I hang on their every word.

I mute my microphone on zoom, then press minus button on zoom window and it opens a small window too right that just shows the speaker, so I can work away while chat is still going on and I can glance at it occasionally

Ha ha ha this is so true!

I was rather bored today & needed to get on with some actual work so turned off microphone & video

And kept one ear out for somebody addressing me directly or asking for something specific!

Wearywithteens Notices as well! Isn't that what the Parish newsletter emailed to everyone is for?

@Pogmella Do you work on my team?!! That’s exactly what it’s like for me and it’s extremely draining🤦‍♀️ It’s as though the managers don’t trust us to do any work unless they constantly check in on us.

@Impiz I have been known to turn off the video/audio to do something. Another good one is ‘internet problems’ with an apologetic head tilt and tinkly laugh when you arrive back on the call. Normally I’ve been for a 💩 or gone to collect an amazon delivery.

I had to turn my speakers down and turn off my camera to get some actual urgent work done during a daily team meeting today.

We all mute our microphone anyway and type Q if we want to but in. I don't type many Qs. I just look at peoples wallpaper and furnishings instead.

It's always the same wannabe look at me people

Muting is standard practice and hardly anyone uses as videos in normal times, much less now.

We zoom so have to be seen.

No, you just don’t turn on video. My last meeting, I turned down the volume, turned off video and carried on with my day. If I can be bothered to do makeup, I might turn on the video for tomorrow’s meeting, but lots of people don’t, so I might just get on with my jigsaw or something while listening in.

You've got to make sure your work doesn't involve emailing any.of the people in the meeting, otherwise you will be rumbled.

I totally forgot one the other day and no one seems to have noticed! It was a big meeting with a lot of people - we use Skype as it seems to be better.

Generally my work are pretty good with not too many meetings (public sector too but we’re an agency and my department is quite sensible). They keep asking if we’re happy with what we have and everyone seems to be.

Last week I managed to make a cottage pie, some flapjacks and a loaf of bread during a very long (and not entirely relevant) online meeting.

Felt quite pleased with my multi-tasking abilities.

My LA never spent enough on keeping laptops up to date, so I don't have a camera on mine
We are also encouraged to keep ourselves muted as usually the first part of the meeting is giving us the latest changes updates. You can type questions in the chat or just wait until after each item when we have a chance for questions.
In fairness, we don't have time wasted in meetings. Without having to travel over to be physically in our normal meetings, I'm spending a lot less time attending meetings that I normally would.