Cameras On: Why Face-to-Face Matters in the Age of Video Conferencing

A recent observation from the work I have been doing with clients and prospects.

COVID taught us many things and facilitated the rapid introduction of video conferencing into so many businesses that meeting via MS Teams or Zoom is now almost second nature. 

I have recently noticed many meetings where people have their cameras turned off. Despite the technology, people need to meet face-to-face. The best work is done when we have in-person meetings. Where distance is an issue, and the cost of travel doesn’t warrant the expense, the next best thing is VC. However, the importance of having your camera on cannot be underestimated. Picking up visual cues such as facial expressions, body language, and mannerisms is vastly superior in physical face-to-face meetings. Having a camera on helps this to occur while not actually in the same room; it helps keep people engaged and can help foster a sense of accountability.

With the camera off, people tend to hide rather than get involved, which lowers their level of engagement and often fosters other work being carried out in the background because no one can see you. It also limits the ability to canvass and explore all ideas. While one downside of using cameras is the risk of Zoom fatigue, as long as this is well managed, I encourage every business to hold these meetings with cameras on.

© David Ogilvie