Am I Still On The Call?

Jul 16, 2014 1 Min Read
Alt

karen.neoh@leaderonomics.com

Excellent. SPOT ON! There was a time when this video would have been totally lost on me. And it is only now that I have extricated myself from the world of midnight – 3 continent conference calls that I find it hysterically funny. Organising events with team members in 2 other countries, and the event in a third, didn’t faze us but did occasionally have us throwing our hands up in the air (synchronously I would bet!) and in fits of giggles.

I have had conference calls with people as they drove home from work, as they bent down and cooed gently to toddlers and once, just once, I am pretty sure someone on the call was at a football game.

Of course, there is still value in conference calls, even if you hear your colleague’s dog barking thousands of miles away. In fact, I sometimes wished for the goofy and unexpected, just so that the disembodied voices felt real.

In light of the recent ruling in France as well as Germany to protect employees from work email outside office hours, it is worth considering (rejoicing!) if late night conference calls will go down the same path.

In my humble opinion, having conference calls isn’t an ideal way to stay connected, however team alignment and bonds can still be forged. And just as importantly, projects can progress without the risk of lost and/or misinterpreted emails.

Emails! Don’t get me started on that :o)

Karen has rather bizarrely maintained a childlike side to herself – always keen to see, learn and do new things. Yet she has remained grounded on finding the best way to help people – especially those who have the skills and heart to do incredible things. Write to us at editor@leaderonomics.com. For more leadership articles, click here.

Share This

Leadership

Alt
Karen has rather bizarrely maintained a childlike side to herself – always keen to see, learn and do new things. Yet she has remained grounded on finding the best way to help people – especially those who have the skills and heart to do incredible things.

You May Also Like

company townhall

Corporate Culture: Go Beyond Buzzwords

By Erin Meyer. Culture statements are often too abstract, leaving employees uncertain about how to act when faced with ambiguous situations. Here's how to address it.

Feb 27, 2025 6 Min Read

Interview

The Leaderonomics Show - Dr. Jens Weinmann & Bianca Schmitz

Programme directors at ESMT Berlin, Dr Jens Weinmann and Bianca Schmitz share their innovation expertise and points of view on leadership with The Leaderonomics Show hosts Audrey Tong and Sarah Lim.

Jan 16, 2018 30 Min Video

Be a Leader's Digest Reader