Remote employees relish the idea of working from home – wearing pajamas all day, putting a jumper over the top for video calls, and taking workcations often, away from office distractions. But that doesn’t mean they can escape from attending video meetings.
Video calls are here to stay whether you like them or not. Technology eases the communication process and makes for better relationships when we see each other’s faces. 72% of companies reported an increase in client collaboration due to video conferencing. Also, businesses were able to cut travel costs by 30%.
Moreover, as per Gartner, only 25% of business meetings will occur in person by 2024.
With this widespread practice, learning proper video conferencing etiquette is a very real thing. So, to amplify productivity and escape from video call blunders, here are 13 video conferencing etiquettes that enable you to make a good impression in an always-connected world.
1. Plan your meeting agenda
This may sound like the most cliche advice but if you’re the one planning the meeting, set an agenda. Because when you are operating remotely, it is easy to drift off the purpose and dissolve the entire purpose of the meeting. Having an agenda will help you discuss everything you want to within the stipulated time frame.
To make the meeting more productive, invite all the attendees well in advance so that they can equip themselves with information and add their input. To plan such meetings, you can use meeting agenda tools like Hugo or Fellow.
So, ensure you have a robust system for planning the meetings and setting agendas to keep the meeting more engaged and purpose-driven.
2. Make sure all devices are working
No matter how you join the meeting, make sure all of your devices are working fine. If you’re joining from a laptop, test your video, microphone, and screen sharing in advance. Don’t be one of those people who makes everyone wait. That’s poor video conferencing etiquette. Make sure you’re well-prepared for your video call – having a stable connection and battery backup to avoid any mishaps.
Additionally, get familiar with the software you are using. You can do a test call with a co-worker or family member in advance, or sign in 15 minutes early to test it out. Don’t let a technical issue come in the way of your well-drafted presentation.
3. Dress professionally
While working from home, you might have fallen into the habit of dressing in your comfiest T-shirt almost every day. No judgments, here! But before you join a video meeting, make an effort with your appearance. If it is an internal team meeting, client meeting, or meeting with customers, it is recommended to don a shirt that looks semi-professional, to say the least.
Also, take some dressing cues from the perspective of company culture and the importance of your meeting. For men, wearing a crisp collared shirt will usually suffice. And for women, a crisply pressed top with some statement earrings will do the need. Having a formal look will make you feel self-assured and others are likely to take you more seriously. So, dress your best and make a lasting impression amongst the stakeholders of your company.
4. Choose a quiet place for a meeting
Sure, you may be used to the sound of hawkers passing by your street, but your co-workers on the call aren’t. Sit in a place that is quiet and free from distractions. Because when people are focusing on your verbal presentation, it is important to make sure that your background voice is minimum. Choose a room where you can shut the door and avoid any outer disturbance.
If you’re working from home with your partner, and children – choose a place with little to no noise clutter. Also, try to plan your meeting times at different time slots to avoid two video calls at the same place. A quiet ambiance will help you articulate your thoughts impeccably and never break your line of flow. The attendees will also feel empowered while listening to your presentation or opinion.
5. Make use of the right tools
To ensure everyone is equally collaborative and productive in a meeting, you need to have the right tools. First, you need robust planning & scheduling software in place to invite all the attendees.
Additionally, the online meeting software should be convenient to use. Tools like Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams provide a great user experience to conduct meetings seamlessly.
Nowadays, even some all-in-one project management platforms like SmartTask offer inbuilt video conferencing and chat features. These features allow teams to collaborate on tasks & projects without leaving the workspace. Ultimately, eliminates the need for tools like Zoom and Slack.
6. Choose the right background
Don’t let a cluttered background ruin your remote team’s sales pitch or marketing huddle. Always choose a place with a simple but solid backdrop such as a wall and not a place that displays tons of things behind you. The attendees shouldn’t be distracted by your background clutter. They should be able to focus on your verbal and non-verbal cues.
If you don’t have a clutter-free background, opt-in for virtual backgrounds. Nowadays, all video conferencing apps have a built-in virtual background feature that allows you to blur your background or display an image or video as your background.
Virtual backgrounds can spark interesting conversations and showcase your team’s personality. Build your own virtual space by finding that perfect background and ace your next video call.
7. Join the meeting on time
While you may get away with sneaking into a physical meeting late, everything is visible in video conferencing. Instead, try to arrive five minutes early to the meeting and get yourself settled. Remember, if you are even five minutes late, everyone else is waiting for you to join and you need to respect their time. Being late, even in a remote meeting shows a lack of discipline and punctuality.
Additionally, once the meeting is underway, the host may get immersed in explaining the agenda of the meeting and might not entertain late arrivals. And diverting the host’s attention from the meeting is the ultimate sign of not honoring the meeting schedule. If you don’t want a ‘late-comer’ mark against you, join on time!
8. Use the mute option
While it is important to speak up, it’s just as important to stay quiet, too. If you aren’t speaking for too long, hit the mute button even when you’re in a quiet location. Because most microphones pick up even a minor background noise and can disturb the speaker. Also, your chair may squeak when you least expect it to! These sounds can be incredibly distracting when an important discussion is taking place.
Also, you don’t want to be called out by the host for being a ‘noisy attendee’. Muting yourself is a crucial video conferencing etiquette because these subtle distractions can cause somebody to lose their train of thought or disrupt the conversation. So, make it a practice to mute yourself whenever you’re not talking. Just remember to unmute yourself quickly when you need to respond.
9. Make sure everyone can hear you
The most dreaded phrase in any meeting is ‘I can’t hear you.’ Whenever anyone uses these magic words, all momentum the conversation had is lost. Having this problem during a casual discussion is fine, but if you have a professional video call and the other person cannot hear you, your impression is doomed.
To avert this problem, join the meeting from a private room with decently soundproof walls, and check your internet speed. Also, test your microphone. Because, even if you’re in a private room with no one else, a microphone captures your voice with great peculiarity. And even after adjusting your devices, if nothing works, raise your voice (don’t yell) and be a little louder than usual.
10. Look at the camera
One thing that is constant while attending a video call is – your eyes wandering around. Exactly where you should be looking is always a mystery. Should you look at the laptop screen to make eye contact? Should you take your eyes off the screen to avoid awkward eye contact?
Well, the answer to that is – to look directly into the webcam. Your camera angle plays a crucial role in how people perceive you in video conferences. You need to maintain eye contact with the individual. And to maintain that – look at the lens of your camera. But, as a speaker, your eyes should be on the screen too for seeing the reactions and other cues of your audience. So, keep your eyes on the webcam to not come across as anti-social or cold in a video conference.
11. Prepare your screen for sharing
It’s bad video conferencing etiquette to be called on and be unprepared. It’s like a missed opportunity. Also, don’t be one of those people who makes everyone wait just to find that one document. Pull it out of the folder well in advance if you know you’ll need to share an important document on your screen.
Also, declutter excess files to reduce the mess and facilitate easy access. Close all the unwanted tabs like chat, email, and calendar notifications. Disable pop-up notifications to keep your details confidential.
Be sure to remind the host before the meeting that you’ll be sharing some documents. So, they can activate the screen-sharing function. Additionally, show courtesy once you’re done by hitting the ‘stop share’ icon to return to the screen with participants. These things might seem irrelevant but not abiding by them can put a dent in your impression.
12. Use the chat function
Participation forms an important part of an interactive meeting. You need to be agile when a question is asked and respond to it via chat if the use of microphones is disabled. This shows that you’re dedicated to active participation and builds a profound image. Hence, making the best use of the chat function is good video conferencing etiquette.
At the start of the meeting, set the ground rules for communication and inform the attendees about the use of the chat feature. This allows them to disable the feature if they choose. The chat option is a helpful tool to amplify or clarify an earlier point once the conversation has moved on. Also, you can send important links through the chat feature and keep the conversation lively within the room.
13. Avoid multitasking during the meeting
It is incredibly tempting to multitask during meetings – especially on zoom when others can’t see you chatting on Slack or scrolling on Instagram. But, meetings are an important source of imparting information during remote work. Meetings require everyone to be alert and focused.
Everyone’s time should be respected in such a way that they provide the best ideas, suggestions, and opinions during the discussion. Don’t waste other attendees’ time and focus on putting your best foot forward during meetings.
(Source – https://giphy.com/gifs/newquest-coffee-hands-3oriO7A7bt1wsEP4cw)
So, resist the urge to multitask. Not paying attention hampers productivity levels as missed details often lead to wasting more time later on in finding them. Train yourself to close all the unwanted browsers and keep your phone aside for a while to tackle the task at hand.
Final Thoughts
The chances of your meeting with something virtually today are higher than ever. Learning video conferencing etiquette is very important now. Because what’s suitable for us may not be suitable for everyone. So, mastering these etiquettes will help you dial in – as well as dial back – your participation and demonstrate your unwavering level of commitment to your work.
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