7 Tips to Follow When Video Conferencing.
We never had to rely on video calls as much are we are right now.
Video calls became the new norm in the past couple of months as we all were forced to work remotely. Though it is not something new for any of us, most of us never had to rely on it for this much. As we move on to a virtual working environment, how we all handle the new normal is different. There are no universally accepted right or wrong practices in this. However, following a basic set of ethics might help you create a more favorable working environment. The following are few such tips you might find useful. These are not the golden rule of video conferencing. There is no such rule yet. But following them will surely improve the working experience for both you and your team members.
Be very punctual.
This goes without saying for any professional environment. Especially in a video call. There could be 101 reasons for you to get a bit late in a regular meeting. But, in a virtual meeting, you are expected to join the call on the dot. Mainly because you can join a video call from wherever you are, even from the phone you have in our hand at all times.
Also, the risk of noticing your delay is pretty high. As it is difficult to make small talk in a video call, a minute of awkward silence till you join the call might feel like an eternity for others.
Video on or off?
This is a tricky question to answer. There is no generally accepted norm around this. We all practice both ways depending on the situation. If you are on a routine call with your team, working on something as you are on the call, you can maybe have only audio. But if you are meeting a new person for the first time, like a client call or an interview, it is highly recommended to switch on video.
When you switch on video, you open up another dimension of yourself to the call. This improves the attention everyone gives for the meeting. If the other participants have already switched on their video, I highly recommend you doing the same.
Video quality.
People don’t expect the highest quality possible on your video in a call. You can select a quality that will support the internet speed you have. Never compromise audio quality to feed a better video. Sharing the message is way more important than looking nice. However, it is always better to look clear on the calls as well. It’s a judgment call you need to make. Just make sure you got your priorities straight.
An amateur mistake most of us do is longing on to a call from the phone while keeping the phone on your hand. There is no way of keeping the video stable if you try to do this. A shaky video is both distracting and unprofessional.
Who starts the call?
The general rule of thumb is that you log-in and wait for the host to connect and start the meeting. In some video conferencing tools, you can’t even log-in unless the host lets you in. It is best if you mute your mic and wait till the host joins the call and begin it. However, these can vary with the culture you are working with.
When should you talk?
If you have some ideas to share, when should you talk?
This is the trickiest part for me in a video call. In a conventional in-person meeting setup, the person who is talking gives some visual cues for the audience signaling that he/she is about to conclude his part of talking. These cues are not visible in a video call. Therefore it is extremely hard for you to pick the right spot to talk.
If you are the speaker, make sure you clearly send signals telling that you are about to conclude. It could be by asking a question, or you could literally say that you are done with your part. Whatever the way, make sure you send the message clearly. Also, as we speak to a computer, we tend to drag on the content. Sometimes we are done sharing our ideas but feel like repeating the same thing again in different words for no reason. This can send some mixed signals to others. Always be sleek and clear on your content.
How to interrupt a speaker?
Same as above, it is extremely hard to pick the right sport to interrupt a speaker when they talk. This is mainly due to two reasons. First, the visual signals you send to the speaker hinting that you are about to jump in with a question don’t work in a video call.
Secondly, the timings of the conversation are extremely bad due to the lagging effect of the call. By the time others hear what you say, you have gone way past that place in your speech. Now, when someone interrupts you, that person is referring to a point that you already moved past. It is very tough to tackle this issue.
One way of getting over the problem is to give more time for the audience to ask questions. Whenever you explain a point that you feel might raise some questions, have a long pause, facilitating some time for others to ask questions. You can even ask if they have any questions at regular intervals so that others know when to jump in.
Also, be humble enough to stop talking if someone interrupted in the middle. They must have got the timings wrong. It is better to have a pause and listen to that person.
What if you join in the middle of the call?
Be sure that you don’t disturb the person who is talking at that moment. Don’t try to test your audio in the middle of the call. It’s better to stay muted until you get a chance to talk. You don’t need to join back and apologize to everyone for dropping out due to a bad connection unless it was you who was talking and handling the meeting.
Working in virtual backgrounds is becoming more and more popular by the day. This enables us to break the geographical barriers and work as a true global village. The norms on virtual work environments are not hard and fast as some habits that date backs to the colonial times. However, following some basic practices in a general way can help you to increase productivity.
