Many firms worldwide do not mind extending the work-from-home facility to their workers who don’t have to be in the office necessarily. In this connection, being aware of certain video conferencing etiquette becomes important.
While companies are leveraging telepresence and videoconferencing to enable seamless engagement, here are some videoconferencing etiquette tips and rules you should adopt to create a lasting impression.
Read: How to Set up and Join a Microsoft Teams meeting.
Video Conferencing etiquette guide
In a video conference, you don’t get to meet everyone in person to create a lasting impression. So, follow these desired etiquettes as a reference guide.
- Decide the meeting agendas in advance
- Setup the background
- Get prepared for the meeting
- Be Time punctual
- Keep your desk clean
- Know your audience
- Document relevant points
- Assign a note-taker
- Be courteous to other attendees
- Keep microphone muted when not in use
Good video conference call etiquette can help you reinforce your confidence and enhance your communication skills.
1] Decide the meeting agendas in advance
An essential practice for effective video conferencing is to organize the meeting only when you perfectly understand the theme of the discussions. As such, if you’re the one organizing the virtual meeting, then ensure that all the participants have some knowledge about it in advance. It’s considered safe to send at least two reminders,
- A day before the meeting
- An hour before the start of the meeting
This helps participants get ready for the meeting so that they are not caught off guard and grapple with etiquette.
2] Setup the background
It’s all more important to have proper lightning conditions in the background to avoid shadows. Similarly, if you have a sunny window directly behind you, draw the blind to dim the lightning. In addition, a clean wall or curtain is way better than a cluttered office or weird artwork to avoid distraction.
Keep in mind that the person you are videoconferencing with should not feel distracted. So, make sure you check what they see before you call. Worrying too much about what’s in your background and how others may see it can add stress that may get in the way of the work.
Read: How to blur the background in Microsoft Teams meeting.
3] Get prepared for the meeting
Sit up straight right on the camera and wear a smile on your face. Use natural gestures when you speak and try to limit side conversations. Avoid tapping on the microphone or rustling papers near the microphone. Also, keep your movements as minimal as possible.
4] Be on time
Many people are habitually late, so being on time matters. In fact, this should be a standard for keeping up with any meeting, video or otherwise. While you might be able to get away with a physical meeting, there’s no escaping route in a video conference.
5] Keep your desk clean
Your working desk shouldn’t look messy or disorganized. As such, it is important not to have anything between you and the camera. Remove the stack of papers, sticky notes, and other stationery items from your desk. You may also want to keep your Windows desktop clean. Use the Hide desktop icons option if you feel the need to.
6] Know your audience
You cannot enforce a school dress code via video conference, so depending on the audience, your attire may vary from sober formals to downright casuals. We recommend going with light pastels and muted colors that look the best on the screen.
7] Document relevant points
Proper documentation of remote meetings allows for details to be recalled efficiently when needed. Moreover, it can help other team members who could not attend the meeting to stay up to speed.
8] Assign a note-taker
Always keeping a notepad to jot down important points is considered as a good general meeting practice. This practice becomes even more important when going virtual. So, assign a note-taker to document everything in the meeting. That adds nuance and if someone would like to revisit what was discussed, he could easily get there.
9] Be courteous to other attendees
If you are the organizer or the one who has arranged the video conference, be logged into your computer and ready for the meeting a few minutes before the scheduled time. This should be the first lesson.
Second, introduce yourself before speaking so that all the participants get to know you and can address you by name.
Read: How to look your best on a video conferencing call.
10] Keep microphone muted when not in use
Even though you may not be speaking and think you’re being quiet, most microphones can pick up minor background noises, like coughs, sneezes, or typing. These sounds can easily distract other video-conferencing participants or may annoy. So, mute the microphone before taking a break and moving out during a meeting.
Anything else we should have mentioned?
