Be A Virtual Hit -Part 2

In "Be a Virtual Hit Part 1" I shared ideas on how to create an ideal home office environment for working virtually and Video Conferencing. This installment covers VC meeting best practices and some work from home tactics to help ensure productivity.

Timeliness- Be five minutes early for every meeting. Not ten minutes early, not five minutes late, five minutes early. Doing so sends the message that you are “on it” to your teams and leadership while also communicating respect for others. Being late does the opposite. Everyone's schedule now is filled with VCs, so it is essential that we commit ourselves to being on time.

If you must push a meeting out, communicate this to stakeholders immediately. The more proactive you are in your communications and expectation setting the better. Speaking of being proactive, when you join a meeting, announce your presence. Don’t be a creeper! It is, well…creepy when someone joins (especially on audio only) and doesn’t announce themselves. If you are the meeting host, be sure to take roll call and ensure that everyone has been identified. Now more than ever, VC security should be top of mind. 

In addition to announcing your presence, let the meeting coordinator know when/if you have a hard stop. If you have a scheduled meeting at 12, for example, let the coordinator know you have a hard stop at 11:50. This gives you five minutes to breathe before joining the 12:00 meeting five minutes early at 11:55.

Finally, if there are individuals in the meeting that have not met, be sure to help facilitate introductions. The virtual meeting should mirror a face to face meeting as closely as possible. Introductions help make everyone feel welcome and will help provide context for the meeting.

Attire- Just as being on time communicates appreciation and respect for others, arriving presentably for a meeting also communicates that you care. I am not suggesting that you wear a tuxedo to your 5 AM conference call with Madagascar, but maybe don’t wear your Buzz Light Year pajamas to every video conference meeting you attend. If you like casual, dress casual however, know your audience and be prepared to be flexible. If the SVP of Your Future is slated for an impromptu meeting, look sharp.

I suggest having an easy to access business professional top, such as a sports jacket on hand at all times for just such moments.

A nice jacket can even dress up that concert T-Shirt you enjoy wearing on Fridays. Once the call is over remove the jacket and you are back in business.

Manners- The VC medium requires even more careful and judicious attention to communication rules. Listen twice, speak once; do not interrupt or run over others. Speak clearly and wait a few moments after others speak before jumping in as sometimes there is a small delay on VC. Communicate back that you have heard what has been stated before throwing your two cents in. Attention to these details can make the difference between a successful meeting and a frustrating one.

Eating- It is best to show your face on a VC, it is one of the main reasons to do it in the first place. I also recognize that one must eat or risk becoming hangry. Everyone understands this. If you want to eat during a meeting, simply let the team know that it is your lunch time and you will be going off video for a few minutes to eat. Then go on mute. Nobody wants to watch or listen to you eat and those in the meeting will appreciate your respectful approach.

Work in time blocks- One way to balance your work, life and be extremely productive is by working in time blocks. Essentially the idea is to control your desk and schedule, limit interruptions and defend your time. Working from home offers unique opportunity on this front as it is often (but not always) a more controlled environment. There is much on this topic and I can attest that it can be a next level game changer.

• https://doist.com/blog/time-blocking/
• https://blog.rescuetime.com/time-blocking-101/

Take breaks- It is important to take some breaks throughout the day. Every two to three hours is a rule of thumb, but obviously you should experiment and figure out what will work best for you. Breaks ensure that you don’t hit the wall of diminishing returns and help avoid burn out. A break might be a jog around the block (or yard, or living room depending on where you live) OR taking a moment to play an instrument or call a personal friend. The break should help you shake off the fog and gather your focus for the next stage of your work day.

Savor the positives of working virtually- Shorter commutes, easier access to food, the comforts of home all serve to make a person feel strong and more capable of tackling the day. You also are spending more time with the people you love and in the home that you have often had to leave in order to get to work. Savor that you are living a dream oft imagined bur rarely (until now) achieved.

Celebrate the victories- One of the aspects of going to the office is having an opportunity to celebrate the victories that you and your team achieve. Today opportunities for high fives and fist bumps are now impossible. Celebrating victories remains a very important part of work and life. I encourage you to find a way to celebrate virtually. When I achieve a goal, for example, I have a little gong in my office I will smack. If it is a really big deal I sometimes even run through the house hitting it repeatedly. There are many ways that virtual teams have approached this.

• https://www.virtualnotdistant.com/blog/celebrations-in-remote-teams

Attitude- Be the dose of positive inspiration that the people you interact with look forward to. Don’t be a Debbie Downer! People gravitate to those that help them feel good about themselves and life. Even if the content of the meeting involves working through difficult items, you help your team and yourself when you add a dash of positivity to your meetings. This can come in the form of an inspirational quote, an anecdote or encouraging words.

Practice- Get a VC training pal and practice the various aspects of video conferencing. Practice sharing your screen, using the chat and gesture functions as well as testing the basics (visual/audio) of one another’s set ups.

Finally, realize that working virtually is a process and with time and practice you will improve as long as you keep working at it. I know so many people that have said there is no way that they would or even could work from home and now they would not trade it for the world. Someday, that may be you!