Everyone is working virtually, if not fulltime, at least parttime. This makes connecting with people a challenge. Tech execs need to factor virtual ways of working as part of their technology strategy. Virtual meetings are just a way of life.
The virtual world presents challenges for professionals, especially newcomers. How to stand out on Zoom, Teams, and other platforms? It’s not easy. Mistakes, even the ones you are unaware of, are common.
Virtual meetings are now a standard way of operating
Virtual conferences have become the standard way to meet at many organizations. Just like physical conferences, there are rules: be on time, turn on your camera, and actively participate. Following the rules is the first step to getting noticed, but it may vary depending on the organization and team. Getting an appropriate share of speaking time can be challenging with a competitive crowd. So, be nice and use the “raise hand” button, while avoiding jumping in too often or talking over leaders. These are just some of the mistakes to avoid. It’s important to have something valuable to contribute to the conversation, rather than speaking for the sake of being heard.
Leaders may be expected to talk
Believe it or not, some leaders feel the need to talk excessively during virtual meetings, repeating what’s already been said without adding value. Unfortunately, being the boss, nobody tells them to stop. Another mistake is ignoring these bosses’ judgment on your participation in the conference call. Though Joe may not have had valuable input, listening connected and enabled him to. So, if you find yourself being quiet Joe with a talkative boss, occasionally interject with a “thank you” or an insightful comment to show your involvement. Remember, adding meaningful input is key.
To “add meaty” and make the best impression you can, you need to do the following:
- Check the meeting invite for the topic and attendees. Make sure you’ve accepted the invite.
- Prepare – do your research on the topic and get to know who the people are who will be attending the call and their roles.
- Create a bulletized list of topics that you could potentially discuss during the call.
- Email the meeting organizer to ask if there is an expectation for everyone to provide some level of input during the call. If there was no agenda, or the agenda was not clear, this is a good time to get clarity from the meeting organizer.
- Be on time to the call.
- Dress neat – interpret how you should dress based on the kind of call and the culture of your organization. Virtual meetings are usually fairly informal.
- Turn on your camera and smile – say hi to the crowd.
- Use the “raise hand” button to be given a smooth transition into the conversation. You can also just start talking during pauses, if there are any.
- Don’t talk over people. If you do, say sorry and defer to the person you stepped on.
- Take notes so that you can respond to any requests or answer questions after the call.
- Give a nice wave and smile at the end. Say something like, “talk to you all again soon.”
You’ll have virtual meetings where people don’t turn on their cameras. If everyone is doing it, that’s okay. The objective of these calls is to accomplish something, which doesn’t always require following all the virtual meeting rules.
When you don’t want to turn on your camera
Sometimes, you may feel uncomfortable turning on the camera due to the time of day or exhaustion. In such cases, especially if others have their cameras on, you can simply explain, “Apologies for not having my camera on. I’ve had back-to-back calls today, and I’m a bit worn out.” Usually, people will understand, unless the talkative boss is on the call. Knowing your audience is crucial, and in the case of the talkative boss, I always turn on the camera.