How To Be Visible In A Pandemic

Before the pandemic hit, many of us aspired to grow with the company we work for. There were goals in place to help get us promoted. And we were working toward those goals.

The next thing you know, the pandemic hit and suddenly we’re working from home. And now it seems like all our aspirations were put on hold for the time being. Maybe it’s just me but there are days I feel like things will never be the same – even after we get back to the office.

But just because of our current situation and working from home instead of the office doesn’t mean your goal to make your way to a top leadership position should be pushed to the backburner.

In fact, there are some things you can do to be visible – even during a pandemic.

How To Be Visible During A Pandemic

Ironically it can actually be easier to be visible in the pandemic.

There are some major shifts in work dynamics. And if you don’t have to be in a lab, plant or other physical place to do your job, you are likely working from home. Here is how you can use these shifts to your advantage.

Meetings are now democratized.

Everyone in a video call has their video screen in a square and they are all equal size. Compare this with the board room, where certain places at the table, for example, next to the boss or business president, could give you an edge.

Have you ever been to a meeting with the main board-room type table but also chairs out on the sides? Like the kids table? This would be your chair if you were a late comer. It means you literally don’t have a seat at the table. And worse yet, if you were on the speaker phone, it’s almost as though you aren’t even there.

Literally not visible.

If you are dialing in to a meeting where most of the people are physically present, it’s impossible to participate in the same way. You can’t be heard unless you aggressively interrupt. And you can’t hear everything going on, not to mention being completely shut out of the body language.

As a working mom, I often opted out of travel and would dial in to meetings. But I always felt at a disadvantage due to not being in the room. That all goes away with video calls – we are all in the room in exactly the same way.

Hallway conversations have largely gone away

Have you ever been in a meeting where you thought everyone agreed on a course of action? But then something goes sideways after that derails the hard work and decisions made? This can happen when there are meetings outside the meeting, otherwise known as hallway conversations.

The disadvantage of the hallway conversation is the temptation for a “meeting after the meeting” where people might say something in private to a colleague that they might not have said in the main meeting with everyone there. This can potentially throw off any decisions or alignment that took place during the group meeting.

Now that we aren’t in the office and we are all on video. The temptation is diminished and instead, meetings can be more productive. Everyone has the same conversation and understanding without alternate decisions being made outside the room. One caution to this is the replacement of texting or IM driving alternative conversations. If you are aware of this happening steer things back so all decision makers are transparently aware of any remaining issues to be addressed.

Office “pop-in’s” have turned into one-on-one video calls

Another pre-pandemic way of being visible was the “pop in.” Maybe you happen to be walking by the bosses office and she calls you in to get your opinion on something. Without being there in person, you might not get that opportunity. Now it’s acceptable common practice to call on video, even without an appointment. I have found these conversations to be intimate and efficient. And it’s easier to reach out to colleagues and leaders all over the world as your company is likely all on the same platform. We use Microsoft Teams, which has become very capable over the past year.