Does anyone else feel stupid and embarrassed during/after Teams meetings?

[mycatwearsahat]

My work has a lot of Teams meetings. And 4 years in I still cringe at myself. I find it so awkward speaking to a group on camera, as it’s hard to pick up on reactions from others. I often have brain fog or trip over my words and feel like such a fool. I am sure people must think there’s something wrong with me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love working from home, and even when I go to the office I have to do Teams meetings (as colleagues work all over the place).

I don’t mind speaking on cam when it’s 2 or 3 people as i can watch just them and see how they respond , but I make a tit of myself when talking to big groups.

We have regular Teams meetings and I hate them. There’s always someone who shouts “you’re on mute!”
I miss working in an office as it is so lonely working from home.
I always look a bag of shit on a video call, I’ve had to set up a table and equipment in an area of my house that used to be my little quiet place. I’d love hybrid working but it’s not an option where I work.

Yes but unfortunately it doesn't have to just be Teams meetings.

Aka imposter syndrome

I refrain from that even though others are giving a little wave goodbye.

I did at the start of the whole thing, but now I didn't give them a second thought.i do so many, they are just normal to me now

Aw, I love the waving at the end, I think it's sweet!

Cool.
well, it seems to be the norm around here, a little wave at the end.

I don’t like seeing my face staring back and me so always minimise so I can just see others.

If you have to present (rather than responding in real time) I found that writing three key headlines per paper has really helped me in my move up to reporting at Board level. I used to waffle to explain the paper but now I work on the assumption that everyone had read it and just do three main points. It had helped me so much and my boss gave me some really positive feedback on it the other day. Would recommend if that’s a suitable strategy.

Yes it’s not just you. Awkward as…

I hate it when people have backgrounds on! I find it so distracting to be talking to someone who appears to be floating in space or sitting in an AI generated library or on a tropical beach. Or just flickering around in front of a smeary blur, with bits of their head going fuzzy when they move.

Our company has mandated cameras now due to the cyber security risk. You can turn off your self-camera in Ms Teams.

Well don't look at yourself or them, I never do, you can change the view so you don't see anyone.

Teams can do minutes. I've been impressed with how little tweaking is needed.

What other people think of you is none of your business!

The little wave - I do it as I am never sure when is the socially acceptable time to leave the call, so doing a little wave is like a signal I think it's time, and I trust someone will stop me if it isn't!

I used to feel like this but I’m definitely over the awkwardness now.

Waving goodbye happens on bigger meetings where you don’t want to all unmute to say bye. I quite like it - seems polite. Meetings with half the cameras off so you’re talking to someone’s photo or initials in a circle are weird imo and much harder to be effective. Most teams are cameras on with the exception of big meetings where it’s a presentation you’re watching. I do remember hating it in 2020 though.

I like the waving. It’s a bit like when you are in a bridge and a boat goes past or vice versa, you know who the good people are by ether they wave back at you or not!

Yeah I miss those days.

I remember the early days of lockdown when people were still working out of their bedrooms and backgrounds weren’t a thing, being on a video call with a bloke who had about six brightly coloured parrots visible (and highly audible) at the back of the room he was working in. Every time he unmuted there was this shrieking in the background.

Couldn’t get away with that nowadays, its become so depressingly corporate.

I’m on so many Teams calls nowadays I barely think about them and I am often presenting so I have become hardened to it.

I just find it exhausting having to be “always on” and going from one shiny smiley meeting to the next. It fries my brain .

This is one of the many, many reasons I’m so glad I don’t work from home.

This

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I love Zoom (teams not so much). If you can see everyone and watch what they're doing whilst paying attention to the words they're saying (I put the transcript on too as I can scroll back up and remember useful bits) then you'll find it's better than being in the room.

When we sit around a big table or a long table you can't stare at people quite as easily.

The good thing about virtual meetings is the lack of coffee break chatter - which invariably leaves someone out and is when lots of misogyny happens in the workplace IMO.

I make sure I talk to everyone I need to between meetings.

You wave?

If you’re presenting to a large group on Teams and know in advance what you want to say then you can literally write a script to read, so you don’t need to worry about fumbling your words. That’s one benefit it has over in person presentations!

I know what you mean about lack of feedback though, relative to in person communication. I usually just pretend I’m recording a video and ignore the fact that they’re all just sat there in silence.

Otherwise, don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ve been on calls where someone spoke a load of rubbish and nothing bad happened afterwards. Honestly, nobody cares. We’re all just trying to get through the day.

People who work in offices also use video calls on Teams or other platforms.
People speak to people in other offices, other parts of the Country, indeed, other Countries.