I loved using Zoom’s virtual background feature since it became available in 2017. It used to be a competitive advantage before everyone jumped all in on the platform when the pandemic hit because many never knew the feature existed.
I knew something was funny though. The way I showed up was awkward with the green sceen feature turned on. Parts of my body would fade in and out or would be missing. Most people didn’t care because I was doing something new then. Others over time reminded me it looked tacky. If I was going to model best practices, I knew it was time to change. I hope you will too.
You cannot hide anymore from meetings, virtually speaking.
Doug Devitre
Even if you are in the Zoom meeting, someone is going to take a screenshot of you looking your worst for their own promotion. You sit there embarrassed with your prided Zoom virtual background made by your organization while your left ear goes missing. You need to protect your image and that means becoming 100% responsible for how you and those you lead show up on Zoom.
Here’s what you might or might not see on Zoom right now
- When you move, you lose parts of your body.
- It takes too much time to switch backgrounds with a point and click approach.
- You can’t replace yourself with a pre-recorded video without the webcam camera feed.
- The same backgrounds need to be added to other video meeting programs IF they support virtual backgrounds.
- You are still stuck as a small video feed in the top or bottom right corner of the screen separated from your slides.
- You can’t use a digital whiteboard as a virtual background.
- You become less influential in your meetings.
- You still look like most everyone else, which is better than bookcases or blinds in the background.
Once you make the transition to a virtual camera from using Zoom’s virtual background feature, you will have many more options than what Zoom offers on its own and improve the way you show up for meetings.
