7 Rules of Virtual-Meeting Professionalism

(I'm not telling you which ones I personally learned the hard way!)

1. Keep your device on Mute when you aren't speaking. (Anyone can sneeze loudly and unexpectedly.)
2. Clear your background of anything that says "sloppy," "cluttered," or "frivolous." 
3. Consider shutting pets out of your at-home conference room. (Have you ever had a cat jump onto your keyboard and activate "disconnect" at a crucial moment?)
4. Don't try to sneak in multitasking time with non-business computer apps, reading, or crossword puzzles--even if you're positive they aren't showing on your monitor.
5. If you're using a phone and carry it with you on a bathroom break, make SURE your microphone AND camera are turned off!!

The last two rules are for meeting facilitators:

1. Watch for, and respond to, virtual hand raises and written comments. If someone's "raised hand" isn't acknowledged before the next two spoken comments are finished, they'll assume you're a careless and/or thoughtless meeting director.
2. If someone's camera goes off or switches to avatar view, don't ask them on the main link if everything's all right. If they've turned it off for a bathroom break, things could get embarrassing all around.