Cameras On

We'll lead with the obvious stipulation here — sometimes we need a moment. Life is hard. Bad hair days, skin situations, unexpected ugly cries, emergency meals etc. happen. And when they happen, trust that others will understand. Otherwise, for all that is holy, please keep your camera on during group meetings. This goes doubly for fully remote teams/companies and triply for managers/leadership (and not really relevant at all during an all hands at a >50 person org).

The reasons are numerous. First and foremost, it's the human choice. We made it this far by being able to see each other. If you can't be in person, this is the best we can muster. Trust, rapport and communication suffer massively without the visual component. Secondly, nonverbal cues are so deeply under-appreciated it. So much nuance is lost when you can't see others leaning in, preparing to talk, yielding, muting to have an aside etc. Lastly, and we'll be careful with our phrasing here, it's just a nice way to honor those who are showing up with cameras on. We hate the idea of being visible as a means of verifying accountability — showing up is not akin to doing the work. But on the other hand, someone is sharing, communicating and most likely being vulnerable to some degree. In the same way it's respectful to pay attention, it's respectful to be visible.