原创译文 | 视频会议闲谈

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视频会议闲谈

（文末更多往期译文推荐）

我们都想象过那个噩梦，你裸体在工作中做PPT演示。我最近听说过类似的事情——不过不是做梦。

我的几个同事参加了一个现场视频会议，当一个人正在通话，而他没有意识到他们的相机已经开启，他拿起他的笔记本电脑并把它和整个团队带到......浴室......继续做他个人的事情。一切......就这么发生了。最怕空气突然安静，大家都沉默了。

这只是一个在现代商业环境中变得越来越重要的问题的一个例子，尽管是极端的。显然，你不应该在与同事聊天时减轻自己的负担，但这些视频通话的礼仪是什么？如何避免在整个团队面前展现发糗的场景？

不管你喜欢与否，视频——无论是老式的Skype通话，谷歌视频群聊，FaceTime公司或新上的后起之秀——正成为业务沟通的中流砥柱。现在在一个至少70％的人需要远程工作的世界里，视频是维护公司文化的重要工具。它允许分布式劳动力之间的合作，并为从全球人才库中招聘人才打开了大门（在失业率创历史新低的时代，这是一个明智的选择）。

但更重要的是，视频将人性带入了一种情景，在其中无论是与你的老板还是潜在客户聊天，它都可以提供比任何电子邮件链或无实体语音提供的更多联系，同理心和响应能力。

但是，如果你不是一个成长起来制作Instagram故事和拍摄自拍照的Gen Z'er，你可能会觉得在相机上有点尴尬。作为制作视频工具的公司的首席执行官，我看到了人们适应视频作为首选通信工具的正确（和错误）方式。我从Vidyard的前线寻求到了一些提示，有些显而易见，而有些不是 。

如心存疑惑，请对照你的观众

我的公司没有正式的视频政策（我不知道有多少这样做）。我认为这是因为视频应该是现有办公文化的自然延伸。如果你想知道是否需要西装和领带与你的老板或你尝试着陆的客户进行Zoom会议，那么轻松的试金石就是你是否在办公室时穿着它。

如果在你的工作场所（或你的客户）看到穿着连帽衫和拖鞋的人很常见，那么你可以在相机前这样。如果你在更紧凑的环境中工作，那么请将其应用在视频会议中。

掌握技术

这似乎是显而易见的，但是当出现在视频，灯光，摄像机角度和音频上时，所有这些都是同样重要。让你看起来和听起来最好的基本常识非常简单：光应该照在你的脸上，而不是在你身后; 使用耳机消除回声和背景噪音; 当你不说话时，让自己静音。（在电话会议期间，没有人愿意听你吃东西。）

至于摄像机角度，首先要确保你在摄影框中。你会惊讶地发现，当人们与不止一个人共用相机时，你经常在跟某人的肩膀或耳朵交谈，或者回应从屏幕外漂移的无形声音。除此之外，从上面拍摄的角度比自下而上的镜头更加讨人喜欢，除非你想要那种匪夷所思的佛像角度。另一个专注于形象设计的专业提示：Zoom有一个很棒的“喷枪”功能，可以为你提供“刚刚完成电视化妆”的外观。

不要掩饰你的脸......或你的个性

但我不想制定太多规则。最重要的是，视频如此强大的原因在于它能够将人们联系起来，所以不要害怕成为自己。

有一种误解，那就是显示个人特效或者在无菌白色立方体以外的任何地方接听电话都会让视频“分散注意力”。但是，在背景中看到时髦的家具或者你孩子的照片的方式更加怪异，在哪里根本就不重要，或者更重要的是，你是谁。

我经常与一位拥有大学学位的同事和他孩子们制作的一些艺术品进行视频聊天。在那，我有一些关于这个人以及一些谈话的跳跃点。我个人甚至不介意在火车上或车内接听视频电话，只要音频和视频清晰，无论你走到哪里都只是你故事的一部分。

分散注意力的另一个提示：如果你不喜欢在屏幕上看到自己，就点一下“自我视角”。现在大多数视频聊天工具允许你你自己出现在屏幕的下角。但是谨记，在用笔记本电脑进入厕所之前将其关闭。

Michael Litt是Vidyard业务视频平台的联合创始人兼首席执行官。

原文

Before you join that video conference, here’s a bit of advice

You know that nightmare where you’re naked giving a presentation at work? I recently heard about something similar — only it wasn’t a dream.

Some colleagues of mine were on a live video conference when one person on the call — not realizing their camera was on — picked up their laptop and took it, and the whole team, into … the bathroom … where he proceeded to do what one does in there. Yup, that happened. And not knowing what to say, nobody said a thing.

This is just one example, albeit extreme, of an issue that’s becoming more important in a modern business climate. Obviously, you shouldn’t relieve yourself while chatting with your colleagues, but just what is the etiquette on those video calls? And how do you avoid, well, crappy scenarios unfolding in front of your entire team?

Like it or not, video — be it the old-fashioned Skype call, Google Hangouts, FaceTime or new up-and-comer Zoom — is becoming a mainstay of business communication for good reason. In a world where 70 percent of people now work remotely at least some of the time, video is a crucial tool for maintaining company culture. It allows for collaboration among a distributed workforce, and opens doors for hiring talent from a global pool (a no-brainer in an era of record low unemployment).

But more than that, video brings humanity into the picture. Whether chatting with your boss or a prospective client, it allows for more connection, empathy, and responsiveness than any email chain or disembodied voice could ever provide.

But if you don’t happen to be a Gen Z’er who grew up making Instagram Stories and snapping selfies, you probably feel a bit awkward on camera — if not paranoid about how you’re appearing on-screen. As the CEO of a company that makes video tools, I’ve seen the right (and wrong) ways people adapt to video as a go-to communication tool. Here are a few tips and hacks — some obvious, some not so much — that I’ve picked up from the frontlines at Vidyard.

When in doubt, mirror your audience

My company doesn’t have an official video policy (and I don’t know many that do). I think that’s because video should be a natural extension of existing office culture. If you’re wondering whether a suit and tie is necessary for a Zoom meeting with your boss or that client you’re trying to land, an easy litmus test is whether you’d wear one if you were in the office.

If it’s common to see people in hoodies and flip flops at your workplace (or your client’s), then you’re probably fine to wear them on camera. If you work in a more buttoned-down environment, then reflect that for video meetings.

Master the tech

This might seem obvious, but when appearing on video, lighting, camera angle and audio all matter — in equal measure. The basics of making you look and sound your best are pretty simple: Light should be shining on your face, not behind you; use headphones to eliminate echoes and background noise; and put yourself on mute when you’re not talking. (No one wants to hear you eating Pringles during a conference call.)

As for camera angle, first and foremost, make sure you’re in the frame. You’d be surprised how often I end up talking to someone’s shoulder or ear, or responding to a disembodied voice drifting in from off-screen — a common hazard when people are sharing the camera with more than one person. Beyond that, camera angles from above are infinitely more flattering than a bottom-up shot, unless you’re going for that imposing demi-god look. Another pro tip for the image-conscious: Zoom has a great “airbrush” feature that gives you a “just-had-my-TV-makeup-done” look.

Don’t hide your face … or your personality

But I don’t want to lay down too many rules. Above all else, what makes video so powerful is its capacity to connect people — so don’t be afraid to be yourself.

There’s a misconception out there that showing personal effects or taking calls anywhere other than in a sterile white cube is “distracting” on video. But way weirder than seeing funky furniture or a picture of your kids in the background is the complete lack of any clues as to where, or more importantly, who, you are.

I video chat often with a colleague who has his college degree hanging behind him, along with some artwork his kids made. Right there, I have something about the guy to go on — and a jumping off point for some small talk. I personally don’t even mind taking video calls from people on the train or in a car — as long as the audio and visuals are clear, wherever you’re going is just part of your story.

And one more tip on the distraction front: if you just don’t like seeing yourself on-screen, don’t be afraid to hide your “self-view.” Most video chat tools these days allow you to conceal that annoying little stream of yourself that shows up in the bottom corner of the screen. Just remember that you turned it off before you go sneaking off to the loo with your laptop.

Michael Litt is cofounder and CEO of the video platform for business Vidyard.

文章编辑：思加