Ready For Your Closeup

Have you ever stood behind one of those cardboard cutouts of your favorite screen actor or athlete with a face hole to place your face then had your photo taken? 

With COVID-19 restrictions, sports are finally being played. Sports arenas need fans, but fans aren’t permitted to attend these events right now. However, now available is the opportunity for a cardboard cutout of you to attend your favorite games. For a modest donation of $25 for season ticket holders and $40 for the general public, your likeness can sit in the stands for the entire 30-game season for the Philadelphia’s Phillies. The proceeds will benefit Phillies Charities. I think it’s a terrific way to “be” at the game and still feel somewhat protected.  Apparently, Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia will also pipe in crowd noises to motivate the teams. Now, if only I could send my likeness for my upcoming root canal . . . 

While I like to tailor these blogs with a business bent, to be honest, I don’t think there’s a way to sub yourself with a cardboard avatar in a business meeting. That’s definitely not a place where you’d want to appear flat or, well, “cardboard.” Still, it’s nice to dream that a smiling placard of yourself might take your place in an endless staff meeting. How better to show agreement with your boss as he or she drones on than with a perpetually smiling you?

While we’re not physically in our offices, I bet we all have some tricks up our sleeves to show engagement, even when we have to be away from our desks to feed a hungry child, make sure the math homework is being done, or even answer the door for the Amazon or grocery delivery. Do you have any special tricks you can divulge to help other telecommuters balance professional demands with everything else going on at home? Leave a comment to share. 

Get more tips about getting out of your own way in Your Self Sabotage Survival Guide by Karen Berg: https://tinyurl.com/y786t4ax