Example of How-To/Guide Post

Virtual Meeting Etiquette

Things to Know and No-no’s Before You Go

Social distancing has made virtual meetings the new norm. Now business professionals across the nation, regardless of industry, find themselves having to regularly navigate the idiosyncrasies of platforms like Zoom, Go-To, and Google Meet. But as viral videos like “Poor Jennifer” have illustrated, being a successful virtual host or attendee requires a little more than a basic understanding of the meeting platform; it requires preparation, politesse, and panache. We got together with [Business name omitted]’s resident virtual meeting expert, [Name omitted}, to create this extensive guide for pulling off your meeting like a pro.

Part 1: Basics

Adjust your settings

The first step in preparing for a virtual meeting is to adjust your settings within the platform. This is the best way to avoid embarrassing technical difficulties. Check your connectivity, then take a moment to test your camera and microphone, review your profile information (display name, etc.), review the meeting settings (if hosting), and most importantly, mute your audio.

Mute your audio when you are not talking

If you take nothing else from this guide, remember to use your mute button. This eliminates distracting background noises and accidental interruptions. It’s the most basic consideration you can give your host and colleagues.

Minimize background noise

When you are talking you want people to be able to hear you clearly so take the steps necessary to minimize background noise in advance.

Do not disturb

Though when Professor Robert Kelley’s kids burst into his office during a live BBC news interview we found it an endearing glimpse into the reality of this new normal, six months into this pandemic it will not likely come across as such if yours do. Alert others in your home (even the family pet) that you will require privacy for the duration of your meeting, close (and lock) office doors if necessary— whatever it takes to avoid outside interference.

Part 2: Appearance

Dress code

Your personal appearance should mirror what it would be in the office. It’s not only important for maintaining the professionalism of the event but also respectful of your organization. Solid colors are recommended as they show up the best on camera and are the least distracting. So no bedhead, no pajamas, and keep in mind that HD is not forgiving (and not all virtual meeting platforms offer filters). Which brings us to…

Lighting

The brightest light in the room should be positioned behind the camera. Natural light is the most flattering so opt for a window over a lamp when possible. Be mindful of shadows.

Staging

Your environment should reflect the same professionalism that you do. Things in your office that can be seen in the background should be neat and tidy. If you are opting for a virtual background, chose one that is as plain as possible to avoid it becoming a distraction.

Part 3: Connection

Use your camera!

When working from home it can be especially tempting to keep your pajama pants on and the camera off. This is terrible virtual meeting etiquette. A disembodied voice is irritating at best and can come across as disrespectful to your host. It’s difficult enough to create meaningful connections in a virtual environment so, whatever your reasoning, you should be brave and use your camera.

Proper camera positioning

No one wants to be looking at your waistline or up your nose— proper camera positioning is important. Position the camera as level with you as possible. This might mean stacking books to set your laptop on or arranging your workstation in a way that you normally would not use it for the duration of the meeting. Ideally, you want the bottom of the frame to end somewhere between your chest and waist, to give the impression you are sitting across the table from the other attendees.

Look into the camera

Though it can be tempting to spend the meeting looking into the homes of your co-workers (or at yourself), you should give the person who is talking your attention and when it’s your turn look directly into the camera. This simulates eye contact for the viewers and can help to establish a connection.

Focus, focus, focus

You must stay fully engaged with the meeting, this means your cell phone is off, your browser windows are closed, and you are not fiddling with anything other than what you need for the meeting.

Say goodbye

It’s rude to leave a party without thanking the host and the same etiquette applies to your virtual meeting. Don’t simply shut off your camera and log out, say goodbye even if it’s a wave and a smile.

Part 4: No-nos

Being late

There’s no graceful way to enter a virtual meeting late. Most platforms have a loud alert tone when someone enters the room. Showing up late can disrupt the entire flow of the meeting and is not respectful of others’ time— Don’t be late, be early! Log in and adjust your settings 10 minutes early (you can leave the camera off until the meeting starts).

Eating

What’s worse than eating during your virtual meeting? Eating during your virtual meeting without using the mute button, with the camera too low, and zoomed in too close… You get the picture.

Interrupting

It can be difficult to chime in during a virtual meeting but don’t interrupt. Finding a natural pause to interject takes panache and can be impossible depending on the meeting size. Use your chat or hand raising feature instead. This gives the host an opportunity to give you the floor when it’s appropriate.

Commenting on people’s homes

Probably one of the biggest virtual meeting faux pas you can commit is to comment on something in the background of another person’s home. This distracts from the professionalism of the meeting and could make someone uncomfortable by putting them (or something about them) into the spotlight. Perhaps they should’ve known better than to set up in front of their Star Wars collection or close the door so the cat couldn’t climb the curtains, but unless their house is on fire, it’s more polite to keep your comments to yourself.

Doing other “private” things

This is the stuff of nightmares that makes viral videos. Jennifer knows.

Part 5: Hosting

Be prepared

Having an agenda and sticking to it is the best way to ensure you stay on track, attendees stay engaged, and the substance of the meeting isn’t impacted by time constraints.

Set the meeting to private

Setting your meeting to private eliminates the potential for “zoom-bombing.” Zoom-bombing is when an outsider (usually a hacker or internet troll) randomly enters the meeting to cause disruption. Tactics can range from relatively innocent and silly to graphic and disturbing. It’s best not to risk it.

First to arrive, last to leave

Party etiquette comes into play here. Just as if you were hosting a live event, you should be the first to arrive and the last to leave.

Make introductions

Take time to make introductions if not everyone in the meeting is already acquainted. This facilitates more meaningful interactions between attendees.

Create natural pauses

Creating natural pauses within your presentation allows for free-flowing questions and commentary. This subtle move goes a long way towards making your virtual meeting atmosphere feel more like the real thing.

[Name omitted] gave us more than a little to think about before our next virtual meeting but don’t be intimidated. “There’s an easy trick if you just keep in mind one thing,” she says, “try to imitate an in-person interaction as much as possible.” That is, after all, why we have resorted to these virtual platforms in the first place.

Want to continue this discussion? [Name omitted]'s virtual door is open. Contact her by email at [contact information omitted].