Back to basics
Most of us have gone through a phase of working from home full-time and, by now, are enjoying a balance between working from home and going to the office.
Both work environments have their benefits, and letting your team strike the best balance for themselves has proven to be one of the best approaches.
As we transition from a makeshift home office that often embarks on our private space to a designated area that fits our hybrid work needs, looking back at the basics for a productive home office can be helpful.
Be mindful of how your home office feel
The home office still had that temporary solution feel through the pandemic and right after. Now, as we settle into a hybrid way of working, it's an excellent opportunity to take a step back and give yourself a home office revamp, prioritizing productivity and separation from your private space.
The home office is a great tool to help you focus, allowing you to balance work and personal life.
Or to prepare for your next important video meeting in peace, without needing to deal with traffic and getting yourself out of the house.
However, when having essential conversations from your home office, make sure your setup is not distracting from what you are saying. To help you cover all bases, we created a short Hoffice series covering six aspects to consider to get the best out of your Home office.
How to get the best out of your home office environment
1. Environment
What kind of meeting do you have next?
A job interview? Catch up with your manager? A client engagement?
This episode explores the importance of surroundings when video conferencing.
2. Being present
Video meetings are the remote working norm. It's easy to forget that presenting ourselves during video meetings, like in-office meetings, reflects how we are perceived.
You don't want to be that co-worker who never pays attention and breaks the meeting flow with the 'barely there' attitude. Besides, when you show engagement while others talk, they are far more likely to return a favor and pay attention to what you say.
Watch this video for fundamental principles for being present and staying engaged during a video meeting.
3. Backdrops
2020 brought us all into each other's homes. It gave us insights into colleagues' and clients' lives that we'd never been privileged to.
Managing your background can put you at ease about your privacy, surroundings, and workspace. Some people prefer digital backgrounds, while others have their physical surroundings on display.
Watch this episode on backdrops and how to set up your environment to ensure you present yourself at your best.
4. Lighting
This episode discusses lighting and its importance in setting up a high-quality, clear video meeting. Good lighting helps present us in the best way but is also more considerate for participants in a video conference.
Watch this episode for a demonstration of light placement and more tips on achieving high-quality virtual meetings in the age of video.
5. Camera
In this episode, we explore cameras and camera placement. If not set up correctly, the person at the other end of your video meeting could have a less-than-flattering view of you.
Watch this episode for guidance on what to consider when selecting a camera and setting it up.
6. Microphones
If people can't hear you effectively, it doesn't matter how awesome your video is; you won't be able to communicate. Watch this episode to ensure good acoustics and high-performance audio to match your video experience.
Time to reset and review
We are all quite familiar with what makes a good video meeting setup.
Still, it's a good idea to occasionally reset and review the video meeting basics to remind yourself how your home office impacts your image when presenting yourself at work.
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