management

the new rules for online meetings

checklist: 36 do’s and don’t’s for conducting business, some learned the hard way.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research

online meetings and conferences are the new way of doing business – so new that we still haven’t settled on protocols and etiquette.

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it’s time we did.

we already have standards for in-person conferences. they’re so standard that we’ve never bothered to write them down. it goes without saying that we don’t go to meetings in our ratty bathrobes. we don’t bring our pets. we don’t have a significant other asking if we’re done yet.

we’ve been meeting via computer for only a couple of months, but certain protocols – certain do’s and don’ts – are already developing, based on research by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间.

you may have already noticed a few of the no-nos.

don’t:

  1. try to figure out the technology during the meeting.
  2. have the camera (typically the one in your lap) looking up at you unless you really intend to share the contents of your nostrils.
  3. pretend that you wear a suit and tie at home.
  4. look too casual.
  5. let anybody suspect you just got out of bed.
  6. eat or drink anything unless it’s from a mug.
  7. explain why you have to step off-camera.
  8. throw your cat.
  9. tell your dog to shut up.
  10. multitask or type except for purposes of the meeting.
  11. smoke, groom, yawn, chew, doodle, sniff, spit, cough, squirm, scratch, fidget or fiddle.
  12. let anything flush, not even behind closed doors on the far side of the house, especially if you’re off-camera.

do:

  1. test the conferencing system well before the meeting.
  2. sign in early.
  3. know how to adjust your mic.
  4. use headphones to avoid people hearing themselves from your speakers.
  5. have all meeting materials ready and at hand.
  6. position the camera at your eye level.
  7. know beforehand how to put images on the screen.
  8. turn off the television, vacuum cleaner, dishwasher, radio, air conditioner, music of any kind.
  9. turn off any app that will make a noise during the meeting.
  10. turn off alexa, siri, and your phone.
  11. mute yourself until you speak.
  12. be ready to mute your mic in an instant.
  13. look into the camera when you speak, not at yourself on the screen.
  14. comb your hair before the meeting.
  15. sit up straight and keep your elbows off the table.

assess your background, lighting and props.

  1. a bookshelf is nice but check all visible titles.
  2. a window behind you will make your face look dark.
  3. a well-lit face looks more “present” than one poorly lit. side lighting works well if not too harsh. ditto for the light behind the camera.
  4. avoid lighting that makes your eyeglasses flash.
  5. lock up the pets. if one appears, don’t introduce it.
  6. lock up the whole family with the pets. remind them about what they’re not going to flush.
  7. if appropriate and natural, have a neat stack of folders in sight.
  8. one coffee mug, good. two coffee mugs, bad.
  9. think about what’s in the picture. no laundry, dishes, dead plants, weapons, booze, bongs, bizarre lamps, halloween decorations, kiss posters, swastikas, humping labradors, stuffed hunting trophies, skulls, or any other signs of your warm and fuzzy side.