Best Practices for Video Meetings

Over the past few months, the business world has settled into using various applications that make it possible for us to stay connected and productive while everyone works from home. Some people were already accustomed to video conferencing before this crisis started, but many are just now starting to get the hang of it. And for nearly everyone, having video meetings on a daily basis (and many times each day) is new territory.

In spite of their unfamiliarity with video conferencing, most people have managed to download and set up the apps and accounts they need and figured out how to be sure that their microphones and cameras are working. (Many have even learned how to change their Zoom backgrounds, too!) But although they have successfully worked out most of their tech issues related to video meetings, many people are still unsure about how to handle some of the social issues inherent to those settings.

On the surface, video conferences seem to be simply online versions of the in-person meetings we’re all used to having in the office. But a closer look reveals that the two types of meetings are very different from each other. At best, being ignorant of the etiquette and best practices specific to video meetings can lead to gaffes that embarrass participants. At worst, such ignorance can make it difficult to get work done and even wreck projects or careers. Fortunately, by cultivating a new sense of situational awareness and following some common-sense strategies, anyone can be ready to participate in video meetings effectively—and without making fools of themselves.

Get Your Tech in Order

First and foremost, test your setup and make sure you know how everything works in advance. In this case, “check everything in advance” doesn’t mean “log in five minutes early.” You need to give yourself plenty of time to identify and resolve any tech-related glitches that could derail your meeting. That means trying everything (camera, microphone, user interface, screen sharing, etc.) out early enough so you have time to consult with your tech department or review some online tutorials if you have problems with anything.

If you had to give an important presentation in a physical meeting room, you wouldn’t waltz into the office at the last minute and expect everything to go off without a hitch, would you? Of course not. You’ll test all your connections and make sure you know how to use your tech well ahead of time. Just because a meeting is online doesn’t mean it’s any less important than an in-person meeting—or that the stakes are any lower. So be sure you have all your ducks in a row well before the scheduled start time of your video meeting!

Appearances Matter

Get dressed. I never thought I would have to spell this out to any business professionals, but I also never thought that a pandemic would turn the world upside down. With people working from home and feeling heightened anxiety and stress over the past couple of months, a lot of conventions—include dress codes for the office—have gone out the window, and pajamas and sweatpants have become the preferred attire of many remote workers. And that’s fine for when people are alone (or with their families) at home.

But when you participate in a video meeting, you’re sharing space with others. In that situation, you owe them the courtesy of presenting yourself professionally. That doesn’t mean you need to go all out with a suit and tie, but it does mean you need to be neat and presentable from your head to your toes. (Don’t assume that no one will see your legs!) Keep in mind that a tidy and polished look can help people be more inclined to have a positive reaction to you.

Don’t forget to think about the appearance of your “home office” space, too. Poor lighting and a cluttered background can make it difficult for people to focus on what you’re saying and could even undermine your presentation. Avoid harsh shadows on your face by putting a light source in front of you. Everything behind you will be visible to your coworkers, so if you don’t want them to see your DVD collection or your laundry hanging up to dry, edit your background before your meeting. (For suggestions on what does—or doesn’t—make a good background for a video meeting, take a look at the Room Rater account on Twitter, which offers detailed commentary on the backgrounds in the video reports journalists have been filing from their homes during this crisis.)

Minimize Distractions

Don’t eat or drink during video meetings. It’s usually fine for people to enjoy refreshments during in-person meetings. But snacks can feel intrusive and disruptive in online meetings, where cameras and screens put people in closer “proximity” to each other than around-the-table meetings do. Think of it this way: every time you take a sip of coffee or a bite of a sandwich during a video meeting, you’re doing so mere inches from someone else’s face.

Unfortunately, some distractions—such as young children—are more challenging to mitigate. If you’re lucky enough to have a dedicated home office with a door and a family member who’s able to keep your kids occupied for a bit so you can hold your meetings without interruption, great! But not everyone is so fortunate, and at this point of the crisis some of your or your coworkers’ children have probably already made guest appearances at a few meetings. 

What can you do about this? First, where possible implement the suggestions I laid out in an earlier blog post, “How to Make Working from Home Work for You,” which can help you carve out time and space for critical meetings. But you also need to realize that at some point there’s only so much you can do, especially within the limitations imposed by social distancing and quarantine. So do what you can and make the best of your situation. And give your boss and colleagues a heads-up (and an apology in advance) if you think your little ones might crash your meeting. During these difficult times, the odds are good that a quick waved hello from someone’s toddler will be met with understanding and compassion—and leave some happy smiles in its wake.

Take Care of Each Other 

Finally, don’t forget that even though you and your coworkers are colleagues who share certain professional goals, all of you are human beings who are trying to live and work under trying circumstances. The physical isolation that results from moving everyone to remote work can lead to social isolation that makes it harder for people to get through each day, much less do their work well. 

So start each video meeting with some small talk (as you’d do in a regular meeting). If the pre-meeting chat moves toward the informal end of the spectrum, that’s fine, because one of your goals as a manager here should be to check in with everyone to see how they are doing. The in-your-face intimacy of video meetings and their ability to let people see and read facial expressions and other body language (which are totally missing from text- or telephone-based communications) enable participants to communicate more clearly and build stronger connections with each over—which can help them not only achieve their work goals but also better manage some of the stress of living through a pandemic.

Lastly, keep video meetings to a minimum. Being on camera and under close scrutiny is both stressful and exhausting for most people, so don’t have more meetings than are necessary. If you’re running a meeting that has a lot of ground to cover, either break it up into numerous smaller meetings over two or more days, or add in lots of scheduled breaks so people can step away from their cameras (and get a snack or check on their kids) periodically. And to make sure that your video meetings stay on topic and on schedule, go into each one with a detailed agenda—and stick to it. 

Final Thoughts

“These are challenging times” is perhaps the understatement of the year. Right now, many of us are no longer working with our colleagues in offices and filling our days with scheduled meetings in conference rooms and casual chats by the water cooler; instead, we find ourselves working remotely—and alone. As video meetings step in as long-term temporary replacements for those in-person workplace interactions, following certain best practices can help everyone use that technology effectively.  

If you have suggestions for other best practices that should be on this list, let me know!

In the meantime, remember that the best course through all this upheaval and uncertainty is to do the best we can—and support each other—in both our work and our personal lives. Hang in there. We will get through this!