In recent years and increasingly, videoconferences are already part of the daily life of several people and professionals from different segments of the market. However, after the coronavirus pandemic and the need for social isolation, online meetings have become even more frequent. Many people who have never had this kind of experience, started working from home. Therefore, companies had to replace face-to-face meetings with video conferences.
Just because the meeting is virtual doesn't mean it's not professional. Therefore, it is important to think about what is polite and what should be avoided while participating in this type of activity. And the best way to do that is through a series of small recommendations, which in the end make all the difference.
In addition to avoiding embarrassment and embarrassment, applying some etiquette rules for virtual meetings ensures that the time spent is better used, which avoids that very common feeling that a certain meeting could have been an email.
Adopting such practices also avoids communication failures, prevents misunderstandings and reduces the stress and fatigue generated by this form of meeting, even more so in a context where employees can be saturated with exclusive contact through digital means.
The concern about how to act in virtual meetings should be amplified when we think that, before the current situation, many professionals were not used to participating in such meetings or even did not have the habit of communicating with their teams and co-workers only through digital.
Hold meetings in a suitable environment
When setting up the workstation at home to attend a work meeting, the location must be carefully considered. First of all, he needs to be quiet and silent. This helps to avoid distractions and interruptions.
The background of the venue, which will appear behind the camera, should be as neutral as possible, so that it does not draw the attention of other participants. A wall is the most recommended, but a bookcase with books in the office doesn't usually cause too many problems either.
Dress properly
As much as the home office encourages the tempting desire to work in your pajamas, never show up like this in a virtual meeting. Although some companies have flexibility in their dress code during the remote work period, it is ideal to attend these meetings in the same way as if they were in person.
That is, this also includes combing their hair and brushing their teeth. Such carelessness can generate embarrassment, so don't ignore them just because you're working from home, okay? In addition to avoiding embarrassment, this type of care can help to motivate the day to day work.
Take care of the camera and microphone
Before and during the meeting, be careful when using the camera and microphone. With rare exceptions (such as a bad connection) it is not appropriate to leave the camera closed, as this cuts eye contact with the other participants.
Anyone not speaking should leave the microphone turned off. This helps to avoid unpleasant noises while others are talking, which can disrupt the dynamics of the moment. For smaller errands, the chat that most videoconferencing platforms make available to participants can be used.
Keep up a professional demeanor
Think of everything you would never do in a face-to-face meeting and don't do any of that in a virtual environment meeting. Therefore, never deviate from the subject of the meeting, do not interrupt the other participants and, whenever it is your turn to speak, try to be clear and concise in your message. Don't forget to also greet the others involved, as a sign of politeness and consideration for their participation.
Test everything in advance
Always before any meeting, take a few minutes to test everything that will be used. Open the platform used, check that the connection is stable and that the microphone and camera are working properly. Such care prevents setbacks from preventing your participation or delaying the progress of the appointment, which always generates irritation.
Avoid delays
Another tip to avoid being late is not leaving to connect to the meeting at the last minute. All participants should, whenever possible, be present a few minutes before the agreed time. In this way, any problem can be resolved in time, without delaying the start of the activity.
Create a roadmap and separate documents
Are you going to use a PowerPoint presentation? Have it saved and easily accessible before the meeting starts and test it more than once in advance. Whenever you share your screen to show any document, be careful not to expose sensitive information.
To optimize the time of the meeting, it is always worth preparing and sharing in advance a roadmap with all the topics that will be discussed. Any documents important to the debate should be shared in advance as well.
Be patient
Finally, exercise patience. Everyone is subject to a connection stutter or some inconvenient noise during the meeting, such as the noise of children or dogs, for example. In most cases, it is possible to handle such mishaps without further efforts and keep the meeting going.
When it comes to promoting more productive and enjoyable virtual meetings, it is up to HR to establish some rules of good conduct (like those shown in this article). Professionals in this sector can reinforce that such meetings should always be scheduled in moderation, to avoid the fatigue caused by their excess, which is increasingly common.
Even after the pandemic, the expectation is that videoconferences will be widely used, as they are practical and reduce travel costs. So, to make it easier to adapt to this “new normal”, adopt these etiquette tips for virtual meetings and get the best out of these tools.
Comments