Working From Home. Karen Mangia

       DO: Look here. Figure out a way to raise the camera on your laptop up to the level of your eyes. A shoebox or even a stack of books can help. From a nonverbal standpoint, we use eye contact to convey warmth, connection, and trust. How can you send that message without looking into the camera? Remember the old‐school networking strategy: “Look 'em in the eye.” The camera is where your audience is – keeping the camera at eye level will help your impact on every possible level.

       DON'T: Have a stare‐down contest. If you leave your laptop in your lap, or stare down at it on the table, you'll be broadcasting like Nostrildamus. I'm not talking about the sixteenth‐century futurist and author of Les Prophéties (the prophecies). His name was Nostradamus. I'm talking about a twenty‐first‐century goofball, broadcasting nothing but nostrils to the boss and co‐workers. I predict that nobody wants to see that. You don't have to be a prophet to know that a nose cameo could limit your future prospects at the company.

       DO: Look for your light. The best light is natural and comes from a window in front of you. If you don't have a window in your space, place a lamp in front of your face so that you can be seen clearly. Ideally, it's a ring light or something that throws even focus onto your features. Want to find the best light, in any room? You need to do the Hokey Pokey. Let me explain: turn your smartphone into selfie mode and slowly turn yourself around. You'll see where the shadows grow – and where they go – as you spin. (If you want to put your left foot in, and then your left foot out, I'll leave that up to you.) Ideally, place your camera so that a good light source is in front of you – the source you identified in our hokey experiment. And let's just be honest: nobody likes seeing themselves on camera (we'll talk more about that when we discuss Zoom zombie syndrome a little later). But here's the deal: your face is the point of connection and expression, when it comes to making work‐from‐home work for you. If you don't care about how you look, you won't find your lighting. How will people find your ideas and your contribution if you can't be seen? So, you'll send a message of carelessness to all of your peers and co‐workers. Just consider what kind of reflection that will make on your career.

       DON'T: Play in the shadows. If you've got a massive light source behind your head, you're going to be sharing in silhouette. Why do that to yourself and your co‐workers? Being backlit is the quickest way to invite your teammates to amateur hour, as your shadow work takes center stage. You've got to be conscious of what your lighting is doing to help or hinder your success.

       DO: Consider your background. Piles of laundry and shelves of books behind you? You're inviting more distractions as people try to understand why you've got a copy of Vin Diesel's autobiography on your shelf. If you've made it this far, you realize that your home office needs to strike a balance between self‐expression (the items that say who you are) and self‐distraction (those odd figurines and mementos are creating questions for folks – are those the kinds of questions you want?). If your background creates a barrage of bizarre inquisition, adjust your settings (starting with the setting behind you). When what's in the frame reflects unnecessary details of your personal hygiene, hobbies, or interests, there's a quick fix: make a change. You don't have to change who you are, just take some time to consider what's behind you! I'll say it again: your home office is your new context. That camera on your computer is a window into your world. Settings matter. Set your stage for your best possible performance, so you're not upstaged by your surroundings.

       DO: Put on those headphones. Whether wired or Bluetooth, headphones are the quickest way to improve your audio quality. That way, there's little echo when you speak and outside noises (like the lawnmower right outside your window) aren't on equal footing because you're on the laptop equivalent of a speakerphone. What you have to say is important, but so is listening. Good headphones can make for a great start. As anyone in the video production business will tell you, “Good video is good audio.” And if you're going to rock your presentation (that chapter is coming up), you've got to have a way to be heard. If you want to trick out your audio and your setup even further, you'll love reading about the guidance in the presentation chapter – where Hollywood producer Brant Pinvidic shares how you can quickly pump up the volume on a killer setup (without killing your expense account).

       DON'T: Come on a group call unmuted. Don't be the person who shows up like it's the first time you've ever used Zoom. If you're in a noisy spot, where dogs are barking and phones are ringing, you're going to play the fool instead of making an impact. Learn where the “Do Not Disturb” setting is on all of your devices, and use it. That way, the bells and pings from email won't interrupt your calls. It's tough being interrupted in any conversation – but when you're interrupting yourself, as well as the 45 other people on the call, what does that say about your skill set? Not much! How about your ability to function effectively in this brave new online world? “I've got things well under control,” the leader says, as his phone burps, his email jingles, and his dog bites the cat while the doorbell rings. Yikes! You need to learn how to turn down the noise in your home office – starting with the mute button on your favorite video call platform.

       DO: Understand that interruptions will happen! Whether it's that huge presentation where your internet goes out or that tiny person who comes in crying and needs a hug, everyone knows that life happens. The question is, how will you respond when it does? I hope you squeeze the people who need a hug (work will still be there for you) and that you have a backup plan when the power blows. Think through how you will respond when life gets in the way of your sacred space – because part of making that space sacred means realizing that your office is also your home! Accept what comes into the scene, don't ignore it – or everyone on the call will lose their mind, as well as their respect. Have you seen the memes of the dad who ignores his kids, when he's on a video call? It's not a good look. Learn what great presenters and performers know: be in the room, first of all. Don't deny or ignore that enormous Maine Coon cat walking across your keyboard – we can see that thing and man, it's huge! But pet that cat and send it to friendlier confines, so that you can focus on what really matters.

       DON'T: Make missteps a habit. If you're going to broadcast with a beefy snoring bulldog as your background, you've got to realize that Mr. Snuggles's respiratory challenges are a massive distraction. You may find his sleep struggle charming, but is it professional? Plus, who wants to be upstaged by Mr. Snuggles's snoring? Part of claiming your space is letting pets, people, roommates, and others know what's what when it's time to work. Sure, life happens from time to time. Dogs can fall asleep almost anywhere. But when you make a habit out of letting interruptions rule your world, it's as if you just aren't aware of where you are. There's nothing charming or cute in lacking awareness. Tune your EQ to your surroundings and make sure you see what's going on around you. Because what you think is cute can be annoying – and repeatedly allowing the same goofs to appear makes you look unaware and uninformed. What can you do, or say, to help others understand what you need? And is there a place where Mr. Snuggles might feel more comfortable during the video call? (Word on the street is that Mr. Snuggles is a good boy – I bet he'll understand.)