As our lives and meetings via Zoom and other digital platforms show no signs of abating, it’s imperative that we not only master essential virtual presentation skills; we should also nail down the do’s and don’ts of webinar etiquette. Four months in (of working from home) and barking dogs, screaming kids and background spouses are no longer amusing. The use of video- meeting apps have grown tremendously and users need to also get up to speed with online etiquette.
Zoom saw daily meeting participants soar to 300 million in the last quarter, up from 10 million before Covid-19. A recent survey done by people analysts firm, Engage Rocket showed that 82% of workers in Singapore seem keen on incorporating 50% work from home arrangement after the circuit-breaker. So it’s time to get serious about video meetings. No more dogs and cats; no more cute avatar stands in and please turn on that video!
In this post, I share seven simple rules we should consider BEFORE logging on.
1.BE PUNCTUAL! If you turn up right on the dot, experts say you’re already late! Video meetings make it obvious when colleagues show up late. You can’t slink in unobtrusively in the middle of a presentation that’s being done virtually. Zoom’s waiting room allows the host to decide how long a latecomer should be left hanging before being granted entry, while a Cisco marketer recommends ‘locking the door’ of a meeting five minutes after the Webex conference starts. A rule of thumb: log in slightly earlier so you have adequate time for sound and video check, without the dreaded one-liner from your colleagues, “YOU’RE ON MUTE!”
2. TURN ON YOUR CAMERA! It’s difficult to take someone seriously when you’re staring at an avatar. If this meeting were taking place in person in the office, you wouldn’t send a stand in, would you? No. You’d actually show up. And it’s the same for virtual meetings. Show up, and turn on that video, bad hair and all. It shows your presence, that you want to be taken seriously and it doesn’t make people wonder what you’re up to.
3. DO NOT FIDGET! Nothing’s more distracting than watching someone pace and down during a virtual meeting or doing a gazillion things in the background. Your colleagues will stop listening because they’re watching you. If you needed to change location, temporarily turn off your video so those on the call don’t get vertigo or get dizzy. When you attend a zoom meeting, take the meeting in a quiet room (not by the pool), stay focused and pay attention.
4. NO EATING! This one’s pretty obvious but some still do it. Worst of all, some eat chips on a call. The crunchy crunch of chips is then amplified all the more with high-fidelity headsets. Eating and chewing openly on a video call is just rude and obnoxious. You wouldn’t do it in front of your boss in a meeting, unless it’s a lunch meeting. If you’re going to eat, mute yourself. Better yet, excuse yourself then come back when you’re finished. Having a cup of coffee or water to sip is ok.
5. BE PRESENT! It’s tempting to open many screens and do some filing and finish up some errant admin work that you’ve been putting off while attending a video meeting. But you know what? When you’re multitasking, it’s more obvious than you think it is. You may be on mute and you think people can’t hear you typing away but your facial expressions are dead giveaways. When you’re attending a video meeting, you need to be present and professional. And it’s even more important when you’re working from home so that you’re seen as a contributor and taken seriously.
6. INTERRUPT WISELY! Now this one is a little tricky and it requires skill. Some folks on a call (oftentimes those with the loudest voice) end up ‘hogging’ the mic and they drone on and on. Seeking permission to talk via chat or raising your hand is awkward. Those moves make it impossible to achieve what’s becoming the ultimate video chat: when everyone forgets they’re meeting remotely! So you need to get good at observing and knowing when to jump in naturally. A skilled moderator is also a good gatekeeper and should be able to interrupt the ‘mic hogger’ and direct conversation flow as unobtrusively as possible.
7. PRIVACY PLEASE! Turn off your phone or put it on mute. Stop notifications and other social media alerts. Arrange for family and pets to stay out of the way. Put a sign outside the door if you have to. At many work places, pets and kids are no longer the cute intrusions they once were in the early days of the pandemic. Remember, you were invited to a meeting for a reason. So make some effort to secure yourself some privacy so you can be fully present.