Video Conferencing Etiquette 101
The general rules about video conferencing are simple. Be patient, talk slower, and wear pants. But if you want a couple extra tips on how to be more empathetic for smoother interactions, or how to stay focused while you’re sharing screen time with someone, keep reading!
1. Have adequate lighting
You don’t need a professionally lit studio, but the whole point of jumping on a video call with teammates is so you can see each other. Make sure your back isn’t facing the sun, and that your face doesn’t have a glare on it so others can see you!
2. Clean and test your equipment prior to the call
If you’re on mobile, simply open your camera to check for smudges or dust and make sure access to the camera is allowed. Then open up a voice recording app and sing the ABC’s or something to ensure your mic is picking up on your tones. Make sure both are checked before you jump on a video chat!
3. Consider taking notes by hand
This one might be counterintuitive since we type faster than we write. But often times your keyboard is very close to your mic, which means that the other people on the call will hear loud clicking sounds while you take notes on your computer. If it’s an important or complicated meeting where a lot of notes need to be taken, you can try recording the meeting and going back later to withdraw some of the things you missed by hand!
4. Make sure all parties have relevant files
Even if you are sharing a screen or a document during the call, you should make sure all parties have a copy available prior to the meeting. On Lark, this is much simpler because you can drop the file in the team chat or attach it to your meeting invite. Just to be sure everyone’s had a chance to review the documents, you can set a reminder prior to the meeting for all parties to review.
5. Don’t be a distraction
This includes muting your mic sometimes when you’re not speaking, making sure the dogs aren’t barking in the background, and physically looking at the camera to the best of your capability to ensure eye contact with the speaker. In larger meetings, make sure to introduce yourself the first time you speak.
The basic gist is that your priority, like everyone else’s, is to keep the focus on the meeting.
If you do happen to notice your attention wandering, here are 3 ways Lark can help you stay more engaged during video meetings.
1. Turn on ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode
Some video calls are so important that you can’t afford to be interrupted during the call. Luckily, Lark makes turning off notifications super easy.
By simply clicking on your profile photo and then click on the bell icon, you can turn on “Do Not Disturb”. All your Lark notifications will be muted for the specified amount of time, so you can focus on the video call without having to worry about a single distraction.
2. Adjust incoming notifications
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with notifications, you can go into your profile settings and change the alerts you receive. By adjusting your settings to “Only Specific Messages,” Lark will only show the ones where you are mentioned, or when you are buzzed.
3. Prioritize the messages that matter
On Lark’s messenger, you can quickly pin any chat to the QuickSwitcher up top so that they catch your attention faster. For other chats that you don’t need to check every day, such as a company wide dog owners chat, or a happy hour chat, you can simply move these to the Chat Box — a special tab where you can catch up on them during your own time without constant notifications in your main feed.
For a more detailed guideline on how to best ensure you’re never distracted by incoming notifications or messages during video calls or others times, check out our video on how to reduce distractions on Lark!
