Ask HN: HN: is it OK to always have Daily Meetings with camera tuned off? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: HN: is it OK to always have Daily Meetings with camera tuned off?

2 pointsivanleoncz5 comments

I never saw the face of my Leader, neither the face of my co-workers. Not even the CEO's face, who is always making a point on every DM. I think that this doesn't promote integration and teamwork, although the company expects that. Do you feel the same?

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We generally do our standups with the cameras off because we're screensharing the JIRA board, but every other meeting is highly encouraged to have your video turned on. This was a decision made back in March when we shifted to full remote.

Personally, I find it really good for maintaining a personal connection to co-workers when there is video.

(I should point out that all of management from the CEO down to the Engineering Managers all turn on their video so it sets the expectation. Also, it's startup, so we all know each other really well.)

I definitely agree. If integration and teamwork is required, how would it be possible, if you never saw the face of your partners? I mean, good code is what makes the difference, but still, we are not machines. There's a layer of communication between us, that shouldn't be ignored, which is a part of the bound that a team should have. Just my opinion. Thanks for sharing this, Osiris.

I am fine with this. Some people don't like it, I sure as hell don't want to have mine on.

I don't care what someone is wearing for teamwork, just the quality of their code and how much effort maintaining it is.

Yes it is fine. No I don't feel the same. You still have an open channel through which to make yourself heard and your points understood. If you think this is affecting your ability to progress check to see you're not making an excuse for it. (Easier said than done, and I have done so in the past.)

Or maybe, because I care about: - Who am I working to? - Who am I serving? - Who are the persons that I'm working with?

Or maybe, I'm curious about the language that your face brings when you said things like: * "Business is stable. Don't worry." * "Good job team." * "We need an extra effort from you guys. This is not about money. It's about our mission"

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