Online meetings are getting increasingly more popular with the increase in work-from-home arrangements. As the current coronavirus crisis is pushing most people to work remotely, online meetings are becoming the norm more than the exception.
If you have been working from home, you may have already been in a slew of online meetings. Over the course of my career, and especially in times of crisis like the current coronavirus pandemic we’re facing, I certainly have. I’ve also had the opportunity to learn a tremendous amount, especially in regards to ways of conducting and participating in online meetings in an effective and respectful manner.
Here are a few tips to be more effective (and mind your manners) during online meetings:
- Please dress appropriately
If you choose to show yourself via video (depending on the meeting in question, it may be required or not), dressing appropriately is a must. When we’re home, we may be tempted to dress more casually and relax our upkeep in general. However, looking professional is as important remotely as it is in person, so please make sure to present a polished appearance (even if this means you’re wearing exercise shorts under your pussy-bow blouse).
- Test your equipment beforehand
Technology is not always 100% reliable, so make sure to test your equipment beforehand. A quick check of the audio and video quality can go a long way towards ensuring that the meeting is not interrupted, delayed or canceled altogether due to avoidable technical difficulties.
- Arrive early
As with in-person meetings, punctuality in online meetings is crucial. Arriving five to fifteen minutes early not only makes you look professional and reliable, but can also help address any connectivity and technical issues that may arise early.
- Make sure to avoid photobombing as much as possible
Remember Professor Robert Kelly’s interview on BBC, when his children actually became the inadvertent stars of the show by photobombing the entire process? As a working mom, I could certainly relate, as my kids have been serious photobombing perpetrators in some of my online meetings and classes. As much as possible, try to schedule meetings at times when there is a lessened risk of your kids or family members interrupting you. Let your loved ones know of meetings in advance, find a somewhat secluded space to hold the meeting (if possible), to avoid instances of photobombing as much as possible.
- Have a backup option available
Having more than one option available for online meetings can help you quickly adapt when your video call slows your computer down, or your Internet bandwith starts giving up on you. You can use your phone as a backup for instance.
- Get some headphones if necessary
To get the most out of an online meeting, you must make sure you’re able to speak up and be heard well, and also be able to hear others well. Unless your computer audio quality is top notch, investing in reliable headphones may be the way to go.
- When you’re not speaking, use the mute button
After having my share of online meetings interrupted by kids screaming in the background, or by the mailman delivering yet another pair of shoes I didn’t need, I’ve become best friends with the mute button. Rule of thumb: when not speaking, use the mute button. Just don’t forget to unmute yourself when it’s your turn to speak up.
- Be courteous!
Even in online meetings, respect and courtesy remain key. This means allowing others to speak, not speaking over other people, and using the tools at your disposal to be courteous. Many online applications offer the option to raise your hand before speaking up, along with using the chat function to add additional information.
- When in doubt, use humor
There are a number of factors that can impact online meetings, many of which are difficult to predict and/or prepare for, especially when you’re a working parent. When in doubt, or faced with your toddler wagging his diaper in your face or throwing an unplanned tantrum (aren’t they all?), don’t be afraid to use humor to deflate the tension. After all, we’re all human, and things happen.
What other tips would you suggest to be more effective in online meetings?
The Corporate Sister.
