The Cat Lawyer
The Laugh
By now, this might be old news, but we could not resist sharing it again. We love this story. This situation is exactly what this blog is all about!
On February 9, 2021, Rod Ponton could not figure out how to turn off the cat filter on his Zoom call during a hearing in Texas’ 394th Judicial District Court. The video quickly went viral and brought joy and a laugh to many. This shows that Sh_t, in fact, happens to all of us, in our personal lives and at work. Part of the reason this is so funny for us right now is that we can all relate to Zoom and other online meeting platform malfunctions, and, let’s be honest, we all really need to laugh.
To review a summary of the entire incident, including the video, check out this article from the New York Times.
Of the experience, Mr. Ponton (the lawyer cat) said he was happy to bring a chuckle to people in these difficult times, even if our amusement came at his expense.
I think we can all agree, Mr.Ponton’s willingness to share his Zoom filter malfunction and provide comic relief was a gift to everyone. We are all human, after all.
The Lesson
Technology malfunctions happen to everyone and usually in settings where we’d rather they not. Be patient with yourself (if it is happening to you) and others (if you are observing the malfunction). Today, your technology is fine, but tomorrow it might not be. If you are the one with the malfunction, explain to the others on the call the trouble you are experiencing
If you can, check your settings before you log on to check to see that the computer you are on will work properly and that a colleague, partner, or child has not altered the settings you are used to
Make light of the situation and do the best you can. We’ve all been there
The Iteration (i.e., how to make it better next time)