Top 10 tips for virtual meetings

Top 10 tips for virtual meetings

By the Roadmap+ Team
 

Working from home has always entailed conference calls and online chat, but pre-pandemic that meant the person at home was a voice that had a face – and in-office body – other days of the week. In 2020, conference calls and brief online chats have become virtual meetings in the literal sense, requiring all attendees be on camera and immersed in discussion.

With faces all over the screen like a human dartboard waiting to be targeted for insightful input, being dressed for success now also involves being hyperalert and familiar with every feature of the meeting app in use or risk being ‘that person’. To avoid unfairly standing out, here are 10 tips and features that will help.

Anything can and will go wrong when you least expect it.

10. Appropriate wardrobe

Smart casual attire is generally accepted work from home attire, but if onsite culture was officially formal or your meeting is with collaborators or clients, don’t assume that doesn’t apply at home. Start with what you wore onsite and dress your way down from there based on what management and respected peers do.

9. Face the light

Avoid bright light coming from behind you (opposite the camera), including light from a window, as they’ll cause a silhouette effect and you may be harder to recognize. Light in front but at least a few inches back from the camera is best. Light from above can work but may be unflattering (read: eye bag shadows).

8. Mouse on mute

Headsets are best for minimizing external noise and maximizing your audibility. Many earphone-mic combinations will also reduce noise compared to using your computer or device’s built-in microphone.

Low level noise should be tolerated in short video calls with familiar colleagues, but less casual meetings should take place in the quietest spot of your home. Inform coresidents of meeting times, close the door if possible and stay muted when not speaking. Make a do not disturb sign or lock the door if required. Always keep your cursor near the mute button to manage noise and facilitate prompt responses.

7. Video quality and background

Individualism and personalities are interesting, but what you find fascinating may be distracting or even offensive to another. Someone who doesn’t know you might pass undue judgment based on what they see – or think they see – in the room you call from. A plain wall, cupboards or curtains will reduce attention and distraction, and some applications provide or allow you to add virtual backgrounds to replace your surroundings; there are many websites that offer free images for this purpose. If you do want to be seen, a light colored shirt or blouse accompanied by good lighting will help you stand out.

Backgrounds:

To present high-resolution media, it could be worthwhile checking out some cameras’ mobile apps that let you use the camera as a webcam.

These include:

6. Email documents and links

In-meeting shared links, documents and surveys can easily be missed, so it’s important to make them available before and after the meeting by sending them to attendees via email, ideally when you send out the meeting invitation. Host files and other related information on a shared server or intranet page if they’re too big too attach to an email. If shared again during the meeting, note that they are the same items mentioned in previous or forthcoming communication to prevent duplication. If a meeting requires parallel interaction, such as a survey or textual feedback, stipulate this upfront so that attendees can make that part of the app visible and look out for the activity.

5. Expect delays and be patient

Give people sufficient time to respond to meeting-wide questions or when asking someone a question directly before moving on. They may have hidden distractions or technical difficulties (slow internet connection or forgetting to unmute). Waiting too long can be awkward too, so if no one responds within five seconds, move on to someone or something else. Watch for muting or audio activity in participant lists or image areas on-screen for cues or to choose a speaker if multiple attendees speak at the same time. Prompt the use of text chat for questions for those who are shy or don’t want to interrupt.

4. Remain alert and engage

Unlike face-to-face meetings, you’re not in the same room with the same limited distractions. Below, behind or beside the camera, all sorts of things could be going on: Netflix, gaming, social media browsing or a pet vying for attention. Visual cues and speaker proximity maintain attention when face-to-face, but online it’s easy to drift off, which can be obvious and embarrassing.

Eliminate risks by removing distractions from your meeting space, take short notes during the meeting on a separate device or paper to maintain attention, try to look at the screen and participants as much as possible, stay muted when not speaking and don’t forget to greet to indicate readiness and farewell to confirm you have no questions and enable the chair to also leave.

3. The perils of screensharing

Before any meeting, close email and other chat applications in the event you need to share your screen to avoid confidential or personal information being shared. You may also want to ensure your desktop is clear of files and the background is a company or neutral image. Particularly in large organizations or client meetings, sensitive documents and folders should be closed, not just minimized to be later tabbed through by mistake.

Video sharing can be an issue if audio is not specifically marked for sharing by clicking an extra box or option. It’s also important to know upfront if more than one application needs to be shared before commencing screenshare as most video conferencing apps prompt the you to choose between single application versus computer/desktop sharing.

Sound sharing:

2. Know your buttons

Getting to know the meeting application is as important as last minute testing. A number of features should be tried and tested with a colleague before joining your first virtual meeting in a new tool: join/leave, mute, screenshare, file share, text chat, link share, view settings, attendee list view, audio activity indicators and flagging a question. Online tutorials can be dry or too general, so talking it through on the phone with a colleague or nominated subject matter expert will reinforce introductory tutorials and random fiddling. Most applications are straightforward but stumbling around and clicking the wrong thing in a live meeting with stakeholders and unfamiliar colleagues isn’t a good impression or a good use of anyone’s time.

1. Last minute tests

Anything can and will go wrong when you least expect it. Even if the last meeting went smoothly, that doesn’t guarantee anything at the next. Whenever possible, run through a quick checklist to ensure problem-free participation. After all, it’s still work and even in the most laidback of organizations, our professional lives can be made or broken by performance and reputation. It would be a shame to lose credibility for looking too comfortable at home, forgetting to unmute before speaking or receiving gossip via email while screensharing when it’s easily avoidable.

Checklist template:

  • everyone in household informed, door closed
  • look presentable and dressed for sitting or standing
  • face and upper torso well-lit by overhead or facing light
  • plain, clean backdrop
  • headset or microphone works
  • mute and unmute works
  • email, chat, anything with notifications, sensitive documents and folders all closed/quit
  • tidy desktop and neutral background image
  • separate notetaking device or paper
  • meeting links and documents all open, accessible or downloaded

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Category: work

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