New rule: One-on-one conversations should always default to phone call.
But a phone call? The thing that used to make me want to tear my hair out has become a little blissful. I can pop in my Airpods and putter around the house. A little movement actually helps me pay more attention than I do on Zoom, when I’m distracted by my jowls or by constant Slack notifications.
We’ve gotten used to these odd performances. And it’s true that there are some benefits to the format: If you notice someone who is more soft-spoken unmute, it’s a cue that they’re trying to get a word in. On a phone call, it’s a lot easier for the chattier among us to steam roll.But that’s why I think we need to set up some rules for when something should be a phone call and when it should be a video meeting. Large group of people who don’t know each other? Obvious video call.