Am I On Mute? Navigating Online Meetings with Ease
Online meetings aren’t going away anytime soon. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began and more office-based workers shifted to working remotely, online meeting platforms like Zoom, WebEx, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet have experienced explosive growth. Where early on in the pandemic we dreaded being on camera during a video conference, now cameras on during meetings is the norm.
But there have been challenges. Technical difficulties happen, leading us to question our choice of internet providers. Parents working at home compete for bandwidth with kids engaged in virtual learning. Pets, kids and significant others make appearances in meetings - planned or unplanned. Meeting guests get locked out.
With the ongoing pandemic, web conferences and online meetings have gone from a short-term fix to a long-term solution in keeping teams connected. There are things you can do to make the experience better, both as a participant and a host.
Here are 10 etiquette tips to make your next web meeting a success.
Show up on time. Whether you’re the meeting owner or just a participant, show up on time. If it’s your meeting, try to log on about 10-15 minutes before it’s scheduled to begin. If you’re giving a presentation, test all your tech in advance. Troubleshooting technical issues during a meeting can take up valuable time.
Be prepared. This advice is good for any meeting, whether in-person or virtual. If you're attending a meeting- come prepared. If the host shared instructions or documents to review in advance, review them. If you're the meeting host, send an agenda to guests ahead of time.
Turn on your camera. For many of us, being on camera is uncomfortable. But it humanizes you to your meeting participants. So go ahead, be vulnerable and turn your camera on! Check your camera angle to ensure your face is on camera. If you’re using a laptop, try propping it up on a few books or a box. Look at the camera lens when speaking to make virtual eye contact with conference participants. Check out more video tips here.
Be aware of your surroundings. Yes, we are meeting from home, but making a good impression is still important. Meeting from your recliner or your bed may not be the best move. Find a quiet room in your home to help you focus.
Dress appropriately. What you wear to your online meeting depends on who you are meeting with. Consider your audience. A hoodie or t-shirt might be okay for meeting with a team member, but dress for an online client meeting just like you would if you were meeting in person.
Mute your microphone. If there are more than three people in a meeting, be sure to mute your microphone when you’re not speaking. That keeps background noise to a minimum.
Limit distractions. Meetings take time out of already busy schedules. Limit distractions to give the meeting your full attention. Close browser tabs, minimize unnecessary windows, log out of chat, silence notifications, put your phone down (unless that's your camera) and avoid multitasking.
Screen share and use chat. To help your meetings be more interactive, screen share and use chat whenever it makes sense.
Give it five minutes before you bail. If your meeting host or participants don’t show up after 5-10 minutes, end the meeting. Follow up with an email or text. Offer to reschedule the meeting or see if the topic can be addressed via email.
Have a sense of humor. Dogs are going to bark. Kids are going to peek at your monitor. Technical problems happen. Laugh it off and move on! We’re all doing the best we can in extraordinary circumstances.
Great meetings and presentations don’t just happen. If you need help polishing your presentation skills or developing your deck, Kane can help! Contact us for a quote.
