In the age of Covid, most of my clients and associates now work from home, many for the first time. While I've been conducting all my business for 22 years via phone calls, emails, texts and shared screen presentation calls - suddenly now everyone else is too. Except for one difference - VIDEO CALLS.
As a full time work-from-homer I do not get up in the morning, shower, do my hair and makeup, put on jewelry and nice looking work clothes and then sit down in my home space to work. No sir, I do not.
When I get up, I shuffle about in my robe and slippers and messy hair for a bit, grab a coffee and then sit down to work. Mostly, this attire does not change until decide to shower, which is usually somewhere in the middle of the day. After that, I put on something else that is comfy, comb my wet hair, and go back to work.
As is.
Because it doesn't matter.
Because I work from home.
Until VIDEO CALLS.
I get it that the world is adjusting to working from home. I get it that most people are used to going into an office each day. I believe face time is important. I presume the habit of preparing your physical self for the work day could be hard for some to break. Maybe, getting yourself in-person ready is a ritual - a way of getting your head in the right place to do your work and be productive. I get all that, and fully support whatever is right for each individual person. You do you, and I'll do my best to match whatever makes my clients comfortable.
I can get with the program.
Yes I can.
Truly.
And I don't mind. Um.
But... can a gal get some notice?
Hence the point of this post. After being blindsided a few times in the last couple months, I've started asking before showing up for the meeting. "Hey - is this a video call or...?"
However, maybe this new era in working necessitates a new kind of courtesy. Something small and easy that becomes part of standard practice in organizing a meeting. May I suggest a simple series of check boxes? Something like the following will do:
