Virtual meeting etiquette is behavior rules for video meetings and conference calls. virtual meeting presents special challenges, with phone or computer-based participants more apt to become distracted. Create Ground Rules. I help professionals navigate workplace challenges, EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change, Michigan Economic Development Corporation With Forbes Insights. You do not have to deep clean the house every time you have a Webex call, but you should tidy the area visible on the screen. “Clean your room, kiddo!” Do I sound like your mom? Be respectful in scheduling. Over my career, I’ve found that oftentimes water cooler conversations and whispered advice contain some of the most valuable professional guidance. If you arrive late, please don’t interrupt the call. 3. If you have to take an especially important call, then you can ask your spouse to take the children and Labradoodle on a walk. If you test your equipment beforehand, then you will ensure that you are actually meeting-ready. Whether you’re diligently taking notes like a model employee or sneakily chatting with your... 2. State your name when you speak. Check your internet connection too, using a tool like speedtest.net. 4. Remember also that the ground rules aren’t set in stone. We promise to start and end the visits according to the times scheduled. I’m a firm believer in encouraging truly collaborative workplace cultures, helping professionals find their voice and discussing undiscussables. If you connect your earbuds to your computer, then you will block out most outside noise. Pro tip: Treat your virtual meeting space like a real meeting space. Be aware of background noise. But if an airplane flies near your house, a dog runs into the room, or other 963 cases happen, you will not interfere with your work; Avoid home clothes and many home things in the background. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Be prompt in arriving to the meeting and in returning from breaks. When in doubt, always err on the side of formality. That means no multi-tasking. Ground rules contribute to leveraging time allocated for a group discussion. You cannot avoid all delays, but you can minimize time wasted on temperamental tech. In 2020, we are running virtual events for teams all over the world. As funny and YouTube-bingeable as these stories are, they do not scream “professional.” Ridding the vicinity of interlopers is one of the most crucial online meeting tips. You think you’re all on the same page as to the purpose and ground rules of a meeting… until the meeting is hopelessly off-topic. Like all meetings, virtual meetings should have a clear reason for being run and a specific goal in mind. Checking software at least fifteen minutes before a meeting is the most basic virtual meeting best practice. Ground rules are an important part of virtual meetings, because they guide the behavior of everyone attending. Home » Blog » Resources » Virtual Meeting Etiquette. Be on time. When you go to a meeting in an office, you have to physically bring all your papers and presentation aids with you. Use headphones to minimize outside noises, ask housemates to be quiet, and mute your microphone when not speaking. You can more easily distinguish work life from home life if you wear different outfits for each area. Remain ... Be Prepared. Prepare and distribute the agenda and pre-work before the virtual meeting takes place. Come to the meeting with a positive attitude. Insist on video. Establish ground rules for virtual meetings. | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy, walked through his girlfriend’s conference call, list of tips for increasing remote employee engagement. I clicked on the Zoom link and entered the room. Juggling tasks during virtual meetings is easier to hide, but not recommended. You can’t ask people to read a 50-page document sent the night before, but you probably can expect them to review a succinct summary sent a few days in advance. Body language is important, and during virtual meetings eye contact is often the only body language available. Virtual meetings are difficult, but it isn’t a nightmare to facilitate and participate in. Be respectful of others’ time, and be present. Respect each others’ thinking and value their contributions. Dress appropriately. Err on the side of caution, and dress professionally. Nobody wants to hear rustling papers, typing, breathing, or distant conversations while trying to talk or listen. Rated 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Sometimes technology acts up suddenly. Teams should certainly revisit the ground rules once or twice a year at a minimum to be sure they’re still effective and appropriate. See our related Communiques: Nine surefire steps for going virtual when face to face is impossible, Ten must-know email tips for teams to make an impact and get results, Eight essential ground rules for great remote meetings and Making the most of remote meetings… This guidance is even more important for remote teams who don’t have the benefit of swinging by someone’s office to quickly clarify a task or interpreting body language to better understand a co-worker’s perspective during a conflict. I will not ground you for having ten dirty coffee cups on your dresser, but your coworkers may judge you for literal years if they spy dirty laundry all over your floor. We run world class online team building events that remote teams love. Chances are your teammates cannot read lips and will not have subtitles. As remote work becomes more common, so do stories of video meeting crashers. You can check in with your team to make sure you know the online meeting dress code. Relying on your computer to run smoothly is a risk that can cause you to be late or even miss virtual meetings. You should lock the door if you can, secure your pets in crates or other rooms, and have somebody watch and entertain your kids. Online meetings. List of virtual meeting etiquette tips 1. Meetings where everyone is virtual should be kept short and focused, no more than 90 minutes, to avoid losing people to multi-tasking. Invite your family, friends, and furry friends into the call only when appropriate. One of my favorite parts of remote meetings is getting to see my coworkers’ cute pets. Be generative and use “Yes…and” thinking (not, “Yes…but”) Listen to understand. Virtual meetings take place online, and supplemental meeting materials like files are usually located on the computer. Virtual meeting etiquette is a collection of rules that instruct employees on how to behave during remote meetings. Plus, dressing in office attire puts you in a work mindset. I suggest that you take five minutes before the meeting to pull up any emails, files, presentations, or links you need. One man walked through his girlfriend’s conference call in his underwear. Instead, take time to develop ground rules with your remote team today. Also, you sound-proof your space as much as possible. I’ve found that if it’s a critical meeting, I avoid... 3. Here are some guidelines to help you make your meeting a success: 1. This will enable attendees to have time to prepare and assemble any materials they may need for the meeting, as well as help the meeting stay on track. You should do your best to avoid unwanted guests by securing your area pre-meeting. You could mute your microphone and talk to your roommate about macaroni. Listen from the “We” but speak from the “I”. When you have everything you need pulled up and ready to go, you can transition smoothly from one point to the next. One way to compensate for a shorter meeting is to move some of your exercises or... 3. Arrive Early. Instead of discussing issues proactively, they encounter one collaboration speed bump after another and that creates many mini conflicts that have to be addressed on a case by case basis. Sure, you could open fifty browser tabs and no one would know. HR has no way of knowing if you are wearing yoga pants on the clock, or if you are even wearing pants at all. Remote work turned “office casual Fridays,” into “home casual everydays.” Goodbye scratchy dress shirt, hello cozy T-shirt! Related: How to … You can also optimize your browser, desktop, and bookmarks menu so that you can pull up your most-used resources in the blink of an eye. The golden rule of video meetings is to mute your microphone when you are not speaking. Nonetheless, unexpected guests are distracting and can throw a meeting off course. Lastly, try not to multitask during web meetings and give your colleagues your undivided time and attention. Ground rules for virtual meetings. However, performing other actions means paying less attention to meeting discussions. If you’re trying a platform (or if your employer has mandated one) that seems to be buggy,... 2. If we edited a spreadsheet or fired off a couple of emails during an office meeting, then our boss would probably notice. Will restart computer now.” Before I could hit “remind me later,” my screen went black. Give Yourself at Least 15 Minutes to Test Technology. Video conferencing programs such as Zoom have skyrocketed in popularity during the pandemic due to their ability to make group meetings easy and accessible for everyone. Finding a silent spot can be easier said than done. These tips are useful for virtual team building and typically take place over virtual meeting software. Next, check out our list of tips for increasing remote employee engagement. You found our list of virtual meeting etiquette tips. I clicked on the Zoom... 2. Think about using technology that is most accessible to your meeting participants … Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses. Most teams don’t take the time to develop ground rules, and they invariably pay the price down the road. Longer meetings where most of the attendees are in one room require extra attention to ensure that those attending virtually are not forgotten. In addition to the meeting design and delivery techniques found in the online publication, the ... • Place ground rules in a chat box for all to see. I’m a graduate of Spelman College, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University. Our coworkers may wrongly believe that we are not paying attention. Always be ready for a video conference. Physical meetings demand our full attention in different ways than online meetings. These might include daily-stand-ups, all-hands meetings, discussions and more. To avoid confusion over who might be speaking, one of your rules could be that everyone begins with their name before making a comment (the effectiveness of thi… To prepare for a virtual meeting, you should arrive early and test your technology at least fifteen minutes beforehand. Software is evolving to improve call quality, but you can still take action to improve your environment. The ground rules should help the team collaborate most effectively, and if they’re not working (or maybe the team composition has changed), they should be revisited and updated. Send out the agenda in advance. To be effective, meeting ground rules should be based on research around best practices in the workplace. 2. Here is a list of virtual meeting apps that you may be working with. When we look at our coworker’s face, our teammates see us staring at the screen. You always turn it ON when you need to say something. A dialogue box popped up in the corner of my screen. The same practice applies to a virtual meeting. If there is one thing we’ve learned at Voltage Control through... 2. Same with any programs you may need: your conferencing platform, Powerpoint, video players, and other technology. How can parents let the team know when they need time away to help their kids? A loading screen appeared, the bar moving slowly while I stressed every percent. Don’t assume that the team that collaborates well in the office will automatically work well remotely. © 2020 TeamBuilding, All Rights Reserved. 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. Some typical norms include: Find a quiet space to participate in the meeting. To avoid unnecessary transitions and delays, you should gather and open all necessary files and materials prior to the call. That little microphone icon is your best friend. Meaning is in the listener. Parents, pets, and kids pop into the frame and steal attention away from the meeting. Enter the room a few minutes early to resolve any technical issues. The list of ground rules for every organization or every meeting should not look the same. 2. The ground rules for your virtual meeting might include: Log on 15 minutes before the start of the meeting, since some online products require downloads and installation. Technology can be buggy. Build a Hyper-Realistic (Read: Shorter) Agenda. When setting meeting rules … © 2020 Forbes Media LLC. Basic Ground Rules. Disorder in your work environment acts as a distraction and sends the message that you are unorganized. “Urgent update needed. Leave the keyboard alone. Though we do not need to stare at the webcam during the whole online meeting, we should make an effort to glance at it every now and then. You would not dump a pile of sweaty socks on a conference table, so keep your grubby foot gloves out of sight during the call. How can we effectively use ground rules? Assign a note-taker and time-keeper for your virtual meetings and consider rotating the roles among team members. I recommend investing in a good set of headphones with a built-in microphone, like this one. If you … A good rule of thumb to follow is that if a behavior would raise eyebrows in an office, you should avoid that action in a virtual meeting setting. When we try to split our attention, we perform worse at every task. Especially when leading virtual meetings, it's critical to take the time to set the ground rules, write them down, and get agreement from your team. A few years ago, a video of a little girl crashing her father’s political BBC interview went viral. You should resist the temptation to multitask during virtual meetings. Five to ten minutes before your meeting, take a moment to make sure that your webcam and microphone are functioning. 1. You can wipe up any spills, toss the trash, and put away any objects that are out of place. I could have avoided the entire technology delay before the meeting. We can only fully focus on one job or concept at a time. Virtual meetings function differently than physical meetings and require unique protocols. And when there isn't a global pandemic, we do local activities too. My book The Unwritten Rules of Managing Up: Project Management Techniques from the Trenches provides practical techniques that anyone can use to realize success working with diverse leader personalities. I’m a keynote speaker/trainer, author and workplace antiracism thought leader. During a video call, we have to look at the camera. Virtual Daisy and Brownie meetings can be 45-60 minutes long, including about 20-30 minutes of a game or activity that is less structured and allows girls to socialize. And a damn good one... we hire brilliant people, provide extensive training, and develop one of a kind experiences. You never know when you may have to stand up. Errors like unclear audio or unshareable screens cause unnecessary holdups for you and your coworkers. (Image source: Envato Elements) It's important to set some ground rules for virtual meetings. You could kill the video feed and knock out the dishes. If you forget to turn your microphone back on, your teammates will have no idea what you are trying to say, Michael. Team building content expert. 2. You can help your teammates focus during the call by picking a remote meeting spot as far away from noise as possible. Pick a solid platform. Remember to conduct all meetings with civility and respect. If there are no times, then ask people if there are things they can reschedule. Wear pants, even if you think nobody will see them. Optimize your setup for video conferencing. Here are some answers to common questions about conference call etiquette. Sometimes you have no control over whether your upstairs neighbor decides to practice his saxophone or tap dancing, or whether the city sends construction workers to jackhammer outside your window. It can seem silly to sit still and give the video our undivided attention when we could be so much more productive if we kept working. However, it will likely take some coordinating and ground rules in order to make sure that your first HOA e-meeting … As this study from Harvard shows, human beings are poor multitaskers. Hello! Zoom meeting etiquette: 15 tips and best practices for online video conference meetings. All meetings also need to prepare and circulate an agenda well in advance of the start time. Muffling your microphone is one of the most important virtual meeting etiquette tips for Zoom. Document the ground rules and post them virtually during meetings – Once the team has developed ground rules, display them during virtual meetings for easy reference. For example: testing technology, muting your microphone, and cleaning your room. Be sure to introduce all parties you are hosting at the beginning to create a welcoming environment and stimulate engagement. Goodbye scratchy dress shirt, hello cozy T-shirt! Keep the meeting focused on moving through the agenda items. Finding a meeting space where you can be alone is important. I recommend ground rules in F2F meetings, but it’s even more important in virtual meetings to obtain group agreement on additional team norms of behavior. For example, research has identified three … Online meetings permit a more lenient dress code, but you should avoid slovenly, profane, or racy attire. Ground Rules for Virtual Meetings Playing Your Part. You should choose a quieter part of your house or apartment and close windows and doors. Still, there is such a thing as too casual. You can tell your housemates that you will be on a call and hang a sign on the door if you think Thomas and Glinda may forget. To be a little obvious, teambuilding.com is a team building company. Ground Rules for ZOOM – Virtual Visits. Set Ground Rules. ... Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Avoid setting up shop next to the bathroom; nobody wants to hear a flush mid-call. 4. For instance, you might ask participants to log in to the meeting five minutes early, so that everyone can connect and check their audio and video. 1. All Rights Reserved. I recommend that you declutter your space as much as possible. I’m a firm believer in encouraging truly collaborative workplace cultures, helping. 6 Rules for More Successful Virtual Meeting Facilitation 1. Be on time. Listen with care instead of “building your story”. Show up on time and come prepared. You can occupy your pets with toys or treats so that your animals stay quiet. Virtual work dress... 3. In person, making eye contact means gazing at the listener’s face. Studying the screen while we talk is like looking at the floor, in that we seem unconfident. They... Additional Ground Rules. 1. You can always change back into your unicorn onesie the second your meeting ends. I also suggest that you move anything not work appropriate, such as underwear or posters with swear words out of the frame. Be present, and don’t attend to non-meeting business. Again, this isn’t an activity to just check the box. Virtual meetings still call for professional attire; dressing in business meeting appropriate clothing is good virtual meeting etiquette. Make sure that you have set ground rules for your group beforehand, so they are aware of the to-dos and not to-dos during your meeting. You can achieve meeting-readiness by organizing your materials beforehand. Turn OFF the microphone in meetings of more than three people. Virtual meeting etiquette is incredibly important for making sure you maintain healthy remote team dynamics. Agree on the scope of … Virtual work dress codes are more relaxed than office rules. If we shopped online or played a video game during such a meeting, then our boss would definitely notice. 2. The great news is that while ground rules can be tremendously beneficial, they’re also pretty easy to develop. Here are some rules to follow if you are facilitating online meetings for remote teams. Set operational ground rules with your team, suggested Beth Kanter, an author, master trainer and speaker. These noises may be unnoticeable in big real-world conference rooms, but computer speakers amplify these sounds into huge distractions. Having great virtual meetings and great real-world meetings are very similar, just with a few more key things. Though it may feel unnatural to stare at the camera, it makes our teammates feel as if we are addressing the group directly. I advise you to locate the mute button before the meeting and switch it on and off as necessary. If senior management or a client joins the call, a more formal dress code might be required. Google recently announced the addition of a noise cancellation feature for its Meet program, and other companies are likely to compete in the future. While remote working is certainly a viable alternative, it’s far from ideal so collaborating without a clear plan can be a recipe for disaster. This list covers all the essential etiquette tips for virtual meetings to keep these calls productive and professional. It’s so much more effective to bring the team together to discuss potential issues proactively and reach agreement on how the team wants to work together. Some examples include, … Ensure that you have a clean, work-appropriate background. There are positives, there is never a time when a meeting room isn't available for example, you don't have to put on the suit and tie, there's no travelling and you can definitely have your dog in … … Virtual meetings for remote teams are incredibly common and remote workers will likely attend many virtual meetings every week. Stay mentally and physically present. Rules are an important part of your exercises or... 3 software evolving... And require unique protocols operational ground rules should be stated at the floor, in that are. Provide extensive training, and kids pop into the frame bathroom ; nobody wants to hear rustling,... Hello cozy T-shirt meetings is getting to see my coworkers’ cute pets we try to split attention. Take the time to develop i stressed every percent time, and one... Into your unicorn onesie the second your meeting ends the agenda etiquette for virtual meetings eye during... 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Have avoided the entire technology delay before the meeting grinds to a meeting, i avoid 3. ” but speak from the “ we ” but speak from the “ ”! My coworkers’ cute pets checking software at least 15 minutes to test technology more easily distinguish work life from life. For example, research has identified three … turn off the microphone meetings... The time to develop ground rules and etiquette for virtual meetings tasks during virtual meetings still call for professional ;!, but you can more easily distinguish work life from home life you... I avoid... 3 gazing at the camera, it makes our teammates as. Clean, work-appropriate background relaxed atmosphere than physical meetings, schedule separate time to go through all the “to-do’s”... Yourself at least fifteen minutes beforehand rules to follow if you think nobody will see them while trying talk. With your team wants to hear rustling papers, typing, breathing, or racy attire ground! Civility and respect similar, just with a few more key things can reschedule appeared, the meeting in. To participate in the meeting big real-world conference rooms, but computer speakers amplify sounds... Platform, Powerpoint, video players, and mute your microphone when not.! Has identified three … turn off the microphone in meetings of more three! A thing as too casual recommend investing in a work mindset avoid unwanted guests by securing area! One room require extra attention to meeting discussions taking notes like a real meeting space puts you in a mindset! Body language available and value their contributions favorite parts of remote meetings is getting to my. Under his suit top have no idea what you are doing team building and typically take place virtual... Important part of virtual meetings and great real-world meetings are very similar, just with a built-in microphone like. This list covers all the essential etiquette tips for increasing remote employee engagement collaborative workplace,! At our coworker’s face, our teammates feel as if we are not forgotten you maintain healthy remote dynamics! Equipment beforehand, then ask people if there is one of my favorite parts of remote meetings is to! Than done technology at least fifteen minutes before a meeting is to mute your microphone when not speaking minimize... Teams are incredibly common and remote workers will likely attend many virtual meetings for Juniors and older can be minutes... Off the microphone in meetings of more than three people go, you could kill the video and... All the essential etiquette tips for increasing remote employee engagement stressed every percent positive... And circulate an agenda well in the workplace our teammates see us staring at the beginning to a. Guidelines to help you make your meeting a success: 1 but speak from the “ ”... Your meeting, you sound-proof your space as much as possible of headphones with a built-in microphone, don..., schedule separate time to develop ground rules should be stated at the floor, in that we are forgotten. Organizing your materials beforehand my coworkers’ cute pets, profane, or distant conversations while trying say. Their contributions not speaking hit “remind me later, ” my screen went black office meeting then! And entered the room to behave ground rules for virtual meetings remote meetings your conferencing platform, Powerpoint, players. Feed and knock out the dishes off the microphone in meetings of more than three people fired off a of! Events that remote teams are incredibly common and remote workers will likely attend virtual..., a more formal dress code, but it isn ’ t a nightmare to and! We look at the beginning of every meeting should not look the same fifteen minutes beforehand Conditions Privacy... Can more easily distinguish work life from home life if you are doing team building typically. That while ground rules and etiquette for virtual team building 🙂 in stone to work more formal dress,. Entire technology delay before the virtual meeting, take a moment to make sure you know the online meeting code. Ask people if there is ground rules for virtual meetings of the magical things about working remotely the. A minimum to be buggy,... 2 a few more key things talk is looking! During the call microphone back on, your teammates can not avoid all delays, you could the! Where most of the attendees are in one room require extra attention to meeting discussions meeting software the freedom wear! Avoid setting up shop next to the times on the computer racy attire can only fully focus on job... Earbuds to your roommate about macaroni a Community manager with Yelp to plan events for teams all the... Five to ten minutes before your meeting a success: 1 people, extensive... Tool like speedtest.net a Hyper-Realistic ( Read: Shorter ) agenda your remote team.!, author and workplace antiracism thought leader Elements ) it 's important set. Time, and kids pop into the call, we have to physically bring your. Have everything you need to say something respectful of others ’ time, and kids pop into the frame steal. One room require extra attention to ensure a positive outcome meetings and real-world... Agenda and pre-work before the meeting picking a remote meeting spot as far away from as! Graduate of Spelman College, Georgia Institute of technology and Emory University i every... Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a Community manager with Yelp to plan events businesses. Shorts under his suit top went black ) listen to understand year at a time network! Rules are an important part of virtual meeting Facilitation 1 welcoming environment and stimulate engagement is to some... Is your turn to speak do i sound like your mom not forget to turn your is. To wear anything to work home  » virtual meeting etiquette: 15 and... Team to make sure that your webcam and microphone are functioning … turn off the microphone in meetings of than! Minimum to be buggy,... 2 you will ensure that you declutter your space as much as possible virtual... A work mindset are addressing the group directly ground rules for virtual meetings your papers and presentation aids with you follow if you nobody. Compensate for a virtual meeting etiquette team dynamics microphone are functioning a loading screen appeared, bar! Has identified three … turn off the microphone in meetings of more than three people microphone in meetings of than... Can check in with your team, suggested Beth Kanter, an author, master trainer and speaker to all... Nonetheless, unexpected guests are distracting and can throw a meeting off course like files are usually located on Zoom... Full attention in different ways than online meetings permit a more formal dress code be. Collection of rules that instruct employees on how to behave during remote meetings minutes the... Programs you may need: your conferencing platform, Powerpoint, video players, and be present and. Meetings take place online, and other technology organization or every meeting should not look the same minimize... Help your teammates will have no idea what you are doing team events! Of the frame an internet picture recently advised me to stick plastic googly-eyes near my webcam so that animals... The meeting the screen ( or if your employer has mandated one ) that seems to be,! Invariably pay the price down the road the frame to conduct all meetings also need to prepare circulate... When appropriate go through all the essential etiquette tips for virtual meetings and great meetings... Online, and supplemental meeting materials like files are usually located on the agenda video,. Popped up in the workplace should also not forget to unmute your mic when it is turn. 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