All zoomed out

I worked form home one day a week until five months ago. I was the outsider looking in. I had quiet home working days where everyone almost ignored me. I got emails and the odd phone call. I once joined a meeting - and was balanced on a mantelpiece on a laptop - someone sat in front of me - it was surreal. Then lock-down. I remember being asked to provide tele conferencing when we already had everything we needed, frustratingly we had been peddling the use of video conferencing for years with limited uptake - so we let the organisation loose on Teams - the rest is history.

I invited my friends to zoom sessions and led the vanguard on online connectivity - hosting sessions for every family and friendship group we could - with theme nights that got increasingly complex - and games that became increasingly digital. Snap camera, Kahoot and Jackbox party games all livened up those dark dark days of lock-down. If anyone had a birthday we all turned up - we dressed up - we brought beer and gin and we had a laugh. What no-one really grasped was that I was online all day - my life was on one big screen in my office - and if I hosted sessions I had to be there. While others ducked in and out - and gave excuses on sunny days - I was always there.

At work my colleagues adapted and embraced the technology and I was amazed how quickly Teams was adopted. The graph of adoption says it all - exponential growth. They learned the tricks - with new backgrounds everyday and the odd virtual filter. We can all share screens - upload videos, ping each other and comment in meetings now. Didn't we all laugh when a team member turned up as a potato, now it is so last May.

I want some 3D interactions now - I want a balance back - the pendulum may have swung towards digital working and I'm happy with that but I'm exhausted of jumping instantly from one meeting to the next and being on call 25/7. There is no going back - we just need to work out how we go forward with it all.

I wish I had bought shares in Zoom.