Management

Mind Your (Virtual) Manners

By Susan Sherfield

COVID-19 pushed the workplace into a new world, with many employees working from home and staying connected through online conferencing. While many people previously hid behind the veil of email and phone calls, video conferencing was yet another game changer. We must learn a new etiquette for video conferences.

Smile, You’re on Video Camera You may be connected to a video conference, but that doesn’t mean that will be on camera the whole time, especially if there is a large group on the call. A general rule is that you should be on camera if you are speaking or if you are the moderator of the call. Be mindful of what is behind you. You may either adjust the setting so that whatever is behind you is blurred on camera, or add a virtual “wallpaper” background. While you are speaking, look directly into the camera. This can be a little awkward or uncomfortable at first, but you must speak as if you are face to face with the others. You should also keep yourself on mute, if you are not speaking, in order to minimize noise on the call. Just remember to unmute yourself, and turn the camera on, when you want to speak. While you are on camera, you must also stay very aware of what you are doing. It is generally acceptable to have a beverage, but eating is discouraged (unless it is a lunch meeting and everyone is eating together).

Managing the Call

As with any meeting, it is a best practice to send out an agenda prior to the call. Attendees should know what the call is about, and what their role will be in the discussion. If video conferencing is new to you and your team, makes sure everyone knows how to use the functions of the platform you are using such as mute/ unmute, raising their hand, and using the chat box. At the beginning of the meeting, inform the attendees of how/when questions will be taken in order to avoid people talking over each other. Beginning and ending on time shows respect for the participants. News & Events

Minimize Distractions Not everyone is lucky enough to have a home office that allows privacy and focus. You must make sure steps are taken to minimize distractions. Pets, other people in the home, or any other element that creates background noise or an on-camera distraction should be addressed in advance of a video call. Let others in the home know you will be on a call. If possible, move your computer to the most private location in your home.

Put Your Pants On Most people who are working from home are opting for a much more casual work outfit. Yoga pants are our new best friend! Casual is fine; pants-free is not. Learn from others who have been caught with their pants off, thinking that nobody would know their secret. You just never know when you may need to stand up from a video call to grab a file or address a distraction.

When Nature Calls There are days when your schedule is one video conference after another, so nature may call during one of them. If you must use the bathroom, politely excuse yourself from the call, turn off the camera, mute yourself, and go use the bathroom. Nearly the whole world has seen the video that went viral of the woman who took her electronics into the bathroom with her, forgetting she was on camera. Once again, this is an opportunity to learn from somebody else’s humiliation. The huge uptick in video conferencing may have started as a result of COVID-19, but it will be part of the new normal in the workplace, as many companies are discovering that people can effectively work remotely. Learning a little virtual etiquette will not only benefit you now, but will be skills that will carry you into the future.