5 Do's and Don'ts of Virtual Meeting Etiquette
Meetings take place in person, virtually, or a combination of both, depending on what works best for the team. The ways teams collaborate and communicate continue to evolve with technology and professional practices.
Digital tools and virtual collaboration are essential components of professional work. Virtual meetings are an integral part of how organizations maintain productivity and engagement today. Virtual meetings can include unexpected distractions, so maintaining focus and professionalism is important.
Let’s talk about a few things to consider when attending a virtual meeting. Here are 5 Do’s and Don’ts of virtual meeting etiquette:
Do’s
1. Be on Time
How many times have you been in a meeting where you are waiting on someone pertinent to the discussion? Unfortunately, time management is a huge issue with virtual meetings, as well as in-person meetings. With most meetings scheduled for one hour, if participants are 5–10 minutes late, once the small talk is over, there is minimal time to discuss the important things. And if you run over time, that means the next meeting starts late. It’s a vicious cycle! Consider a meeting application that helps to keep meetings on track, such as Synappx Go.
2. Wear Your Pants
It’s important to maintain a professional appearance during virtual meetings. Although there is nothing wrong with being comfortable, if you are going to be on camera, a little bit of effort should be required. And consider wearing pants if you think you might mistakenly get up in the middle of the meeting. Nobody needs to see that!
3. Mute Yourself
Even if you are the only person other than the presenter in the meeting, you should mute yourself when not speaking. Background noise can be easily picked up. Let’s face it, we are all used to everyone being home and dogs barking in the background. Nothing to be embarrassed about but mute yourself so the meeting is not interrupted.
4. You Don’t Always Need to be on Camera
Yes, we have all heard that to really feel the collaboration between your team, you should be able to see each other. But sometimes, it’s okay to turn your camera off. Life happens. If your dog is needy, or the kids are in the background, or maybe you just don’t feel very good and would rather not be the shining star you always are, turn the camera off.
5. Fix Your Background
Whether you use Microsoft Teams or Zoom, you have the ability to change your background. You can always have your normal background if you have a nice home office space. If your workspace is in the kitchen or your bedroom, you can blur your background or choose one of the preset backgrounds in your communication platform. Or if you are really talented, you can make your own background.
Don’ts
1. Don’t Multitask
This is especially important when presenting. Have you ever been in a meeting where someone is sharing their screen and starts opening up emails, chats, personal files, or pictures? How embarrassing! Try to stay on task when having a meeting. Listen to what others are saying. We are all busy, but it is important to pay attention.
2. Don’t Eat
There is nothing more distracting than being on screen and watching someone eat their breakfast, snack, or lunch. Eat beforehand or afterwards. There is no room for food in the virtual meeting.
3. Don’t Interrupt
Everyone on the call should get the chance to speak without interruptions. When brainstorming, participants are excited to share their ideas. Each person should be given a turn without another person talking over them or monopolizing the conversation. It’s like a debate. You will get your five minutes. Let the other person get theirs too.
4. Don’t Type
Unless muted, there is nothing more distracting than when someone is speaking, and the sound of someone typing can be heard through the microphone. Jot things down in a notebook or invest in a good quality headset.
5. Don’t Invite Unnecessary People
I’m sure many people have been invited to meetings where, five minutes in, they are thinking, “Why am I here?” Everyone’s time is valuable, so when organizing a meeting, even a virtual one, be mindful of who adds value to the discussion. Adding people to the invite list just to have more participants is not productive.