Complete Zoom Call in a Smart Way
As an introvert with cards (I laminated them myself!), With a strong aversion to talking on the phone, teleconferencing and looking at our own face in camera, our transition to a lifestyle 100 percent working from home was a real pleasure. … And there’s nothing I love more than that moment at the end of every Zoom meeting, after everyone said goodbye, with all our faces relaxing as we fiddle with our trackpads or touchpads in an attempt to get out of the conversation. This is a completely normal and not at all disturbing way to end social interaction. But what if there was an even better way?
I have been with Lifehacker for over two months and have not been to our closed offices until further notice since the interview (conference room seemed good!). This means that I have spent the last two months learning to endure – if not enjoy it – the experience of video chatting through the method of influence. And even if I don’t hate it these days, I still haven’t mastered the fine art of ending a conversation without looking or feeling completely uncomfortable. But the Internet has come up with a solution that I think will serve me very well – and you! On Twitter, linguist Lauren Gown provided a reliable method to gracefully exit a videoconference: the long wave.
It makes sense. Despite months of practice, I still can’t finish the video chat fast enough. I’m almost always the last person to stay in the room after everyone’s left, cringing as I see each absent-minded face disappear from sight. Regardless of whether someone notices it or not, I always leave meetings with a sense of ease, which makes it much more difficult to get back to work. Using my non-dominant hand to continually wave when I reach for the controls to close the Zoom will nevertheless signal to others that I am taking off and make me feel less embarrassed about being in front of the camera. while I’m trying to gracefully close the program. This is a win-win.
As Gawne continues to point out , interacting with others through video chat, especially those with whom our relationships are less friendly or family-like and more formal, like colleagues or, eek, our bosses, can be stressful because many of the non-verbal signals that we hope to successfully transfer become useless. It’s hard to read body language when everyone is looking at the head and shoulders in a small square on a cluttered laptop screen. Anything we can do to make the process run smoother is a blessing, including a smooth exit. You don’t want to leave a conversation feeling an overdose of social awkwardness throughout the day.