Yesterday, the hottest thing on the Internet was a video of a lawyer appearing in a Zoom-based court hearing...as a cat.
Evidently, someone in his family had added a cat filter to his Zoom profile and the poor man couldn't figure out how to get rid of it in real time. Zoom filters are designed to move with the image of the person, so whenever he moved his head, the cat head moved with him.
It was very funny, and brought a whole new meaning to the idea of online cat videos. The judge in the case appeared amused as well. But I suspect there'd be a different reaction if this turned into a regular occurrence.
We only have one chance to make a first impression. In today's virtual environment, the tools available to us are limited to start. Video sessions are 2D. We're limited as to what we see on the screen, and in many meetings like this one, there are multiple parties participating--making it even harder to project the right image.
That's why it's even more important to control everything you can. Dress appropriately. Have an uncluttered space behind you (or use a background that looks professional). Keep meetings as concise as possible. Use visual aids and screen sharing to help communicate your key points.
And make sure no one's turned on any cat filters, doggone it.
Contact me to find out how you can get heard above the noise--even in a crisis situation.