Online Meetings

Online meetings and video conferences are an efficient means of communication and invaluable methods for bringing people together. But without preparation and processes intended to make them as effective as possible, they risk wasting participants’ time without actually achieving anything of value.

If you’re the meeting organizer

• Before the call, send a meeting request with an attached agenda to all attendees describing the purpose of the call, who will be attending, and any expectations for what needs to be achieved during the session.
• If you require meeting participants to review materials prior to the meeting, provide them well in advance and clearly state your expectation.
• Let attendees know ahead of time if you need decisions to be made during the meeting so that they can prepare.
• Avoid human error by using a calendar integration to schedule your meeting. This ensures that the dial-in information and meeting link will be correctly provided to your attendees.
•  Test your video conferencing platform by double-checking your audio and visual settings before launching your meeting. This will prevent time from being wasted on getting your technical house in order during the call.
• Make sure to start the meeting atleast 15 mins prior to the scheduled time.

If you’re a meeting participant

• Review in advance any materials sent to you. Be proactive and ask ahead of time about expectations if the organizer hasn’t provided upfront information. You want to be as prepared as possible.
• If appropriate, offer to help pull together information for other attendees. This can be especially helpful if the organizer won’t have time to prepare adequately, and this also shows your initiative to your team leader.
• Always be ready for a video conference. Even if your meeting invite doesn’t specify that video conferencing will be used in the meeting, being camera-ready means you won’t be caught off guard if face-to-face is the preferred way to communicate.
• Optimize your setup for video conferencing. Clean up your desk, and turn your webcam on before your meeting to see your workspace appears in the background.
• Improve your lighting. Participating in a video conference from a dimly lit room makes it difficult for other participants to see you, and can compromise the fidelity of your video conferencing system’s display. Backlighting can be especially problematic. So try to use natural light from the front or side when possible. Overhead lighting works as well.

 Online Meeting Protocols -

1.      Leave the keyboard alone

The sound of your typing is distracting. It’s not only distracting everyone else in the meeting (because your laptop’s internal microphone is inches away from your keyboard), it’s also preventing you from devoting your full attention to the meeting. Opt for a quality headset or pick up your notebook and pen to take meeting notes instead.

2.      Dress appropriately

Take a few minutes to throw on a clean shirt and comb your hair. The best part of actually getting ready while working remotely is that you’ll put yourself in the right headspace to be productive.

3.      Be aware of your surroundings

Adjust your work setup so that you face a window or are exposed to plenty of light. And make sure your background is professional and work appropriate! This means:

• No beds (unmade or made) in the background
• No messy rooms or open closets where everyone can see your clutter
• No NSFW artwork
• While kids and pets are adorable (and a much needed distraction when you’re feeling overwhelmed), your coworkers won’t love having to talk over a screaming child or barking dog. So, be mindful of noise and…

4.      Mute your microphone when you’re not talking

There’s nothing more frustrating than hearing that alien echo noise from conflicting microphones. Muting your microphone when you’re not speaking gives other participants the ability to chime in and share their thoughts without distraction or frustration.

5.      Speak up

When you enter a small meeting (around two to five people) announce yourself when you join. When you hop on the meeting, introduce yourself and say hi – just make sure not to interrupt someone mid-sentence.

6.      Stay seated and stay present

It may be tempting to check your inbox or carry on a side conversation during a dull moment in a meeting, but don’t do it! You might miss out on key information or an opportunity to give input. If you’re using your webcam, use attentive body language: sit up straight, don’t make big extraneous movements, and don’t let your eyes wander too much.