Tips for Handling 6 Awkward Remote Moments

If you’ve worked remotely, you’ve likely had some wince-worthy moments: children wailing in the background of a client presentation; a random cat tail floating across your screen during a video chat; hair and/or wardrobe malfunctions; an inappropriate time-delayed chuckle; all-too-personal tabs open during a screen share…the list goes on and on. (We all remember the most epic awkward remote experience in recent memory, of course: the BBC Interview that’s been watched repeatedly around the globe.)

Here, we’ll drag a few hilarious-yet-more-obscure stories out of the dark depths of awkwardness and shed some light on them, plus offer a few ways to prevent such mishaps from occurring.

Tips on handling awkward remote moments:

Getting Handsy While Hands-Free

Developer Brooke Hurford (@code_brooke) recalls a particularly embarrassing moment when her significant other failed to recognize the signs of a hands-free video chat in progress—and came right up for a surprise smooch. I’m betting she promptly turned three shades of crimson. Workday PDA, anyone?

How to handle this awkward remote moment: Don’t have a workspace with a door? You can warn others at home that you’re working or will be on an important video call, and that they should interrupt only during emergencies.

Stupid SmartHome

Having anything voice-activated nearby during a call can lead to some strange interruptions. Katie Schnably (@katieschnably) remembers a specific instance of her Google Home randomly interjecting mid-meeting, demanding to be connected to Wi-Fi. (We all know devices sort of rule our lives now, but this is a little much!)

How to handle this awkward remote moment: If it’s situated near you, consider deactivating your voice-activated tech before hopping on the phone with clients or your boss.

Yu-Gi-Oh, No

Even folks who aren’t full-time remote workers experience the pitfalls of embarrassing technology fails. Take Jester’s (@TheJesterGL) account of a time when he logged into his work computer from a laptop at home, and inadvertently changed all the monitors to anime backgrounds.

How to handle this awkward remote moment: A reminder to be careful when logging in remotely via VPN. If you’re not sure what might be visible to teammates in an office, always play it safe with a professional background image.

Conference Room “P”

It’s not just us remote workers who have awkward moments. Employers often find themselves experiencing the other side of cringe-worthy moments as well. For instance, Matt (@matt40k) recalls the time he discovered one of his remote worker’s workspaces was actually the bathroom. While this might seem practical, we recommend a dedicated space sans toilet.

How to handle this awkward remote moment: Well, this one’s pretty straightforward. Bathrooms are great spots for a certain kind of productivity, but not typically for crossing items off your to-do list. Ditch the commode and find an inspiring workspace with pleasant aromas; in lieu of an office, I recommend using the kitchen.

Just Browsing (for Other Jobs)

File this under “who hasn’t done this!” In a past customer service role, Kate (@katertots) routinely shared her screen during product demos. During one such session, she noticed she had a tab open for the careers page of the company’s competitor (oops). Deleting it would call more attention, so all one can do is ignore it and hope it went unseen, right?

How to handle this awkward remote moment: It’s easy to say don’t ever look at websites that would raise a colleague’s or client’s eyebrows. More realistically, you could either do a tab-check before any screen-sharing sessions or open a separate browser window.

The Devil You Know

All cat owners recognize that the felines are the ones in charge. Nowhere is this more true than in a home office. For Elizabeth (@geek_assistant), her black and white tabby is the star of the (computer) screen, including during video calls. Why is it that pets always demand our undivided attention?

How to handle this awkward remote moment: Strategically place some cat toys or catnip in another room or on the floor a good distance away from your desk. If you do choose to keep your furry friend near you, know that they’ll always wind up competing for your love and affection, even if it means walking across your keyboard.

Don’t sweat it, though. We’ve all been there, and more often than not, whatever happens—though embarrassing—is likely forgivable. Better yet, it’s likely preventable.

Photo Credit: bigstockphoto.com

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By Kristi DePaul | Categories: Work Remotely

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