Improving Your Virtual Meeting Experience

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Leaders worldwide have spoken about how digitalisation will change the way we live and work. Since the start of the pandemic, we have seen how COVID-19 has accelerated change for us all. For instance, many have turned to video conference calls during the lockdown to stay connected for work, school, and even festive celebrations. Undoubtedly, virtual meetings are no longer an option, but it has become an essential communication way today - at least for now. 

Video conferencing tools have improved tremendously, catering to many home, office, country bound working individuals. However, it will take lots of self-discipline to keep the experience pleasant throughout long virtual call hours. To ensure your video conferences goes as smoothly as possible, here are some tips and tricks for your consideration.

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Coordinate and handle the attendance well

The fundamental of an effective meeting happens when its purpose and goals are clear; regardless it is a physical meeting or virtual. While collaboration is productive, too much of it can have an adverse effect - causing what we have known as workplace burnout - where the time and energy of the participants go to waste with no solutions found in the end. Hence, if you are the meeting organiser:

• It is crucial to plan and identify the need to call for a meeting. We can often solve obstacles or find an answer when we reach out to the correct person. A famous saying goes, "Too many cooks spoil the broth." And that's the typical case for many ineffective meetings. 
• Invite only people who can contribute a solution or are decision-makers and provide a clear plan. Make sure involved individuals' schedule is aligned and send out reminders before to ensure full attendance.
• Provide the meeting agenda in your invitation and stick to it. We don't want to leave participants more confused at the end of the session. 
• Lastly, improve the call quality by setting clear expectations and/ or guidelines. Prepare your participants of what to expect and what will be expected from them in return. For example, if it is the first time participants are meeting each other, set the rule that everyone has to turn on the camera. Many see the gesture as courteous, and it helps build trust and rapport with other participants. It is understandable to have the camera off for reoccurring meetings with familiar faces or people in the same project.

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Get your surroundings ready

To some, public speaking comes naturally, and they see almost no difference when they have to speak in front of a camera. For many others who finds it hard to speak up in a meeting, the struggle is real. And doing it behind a camera feels just as jittery unless they speak with their camera off. 

It is essential to check, rehearse, and familiarise oneself with the selected video conferencing tool to avoid worsening the anxiety levels like getting ready for a job interview. Here are a few helpful tips that you can work on before you organise your next meeting.

1. Stable internet connection

Wonky internet connection is the number one cause of a bad video call experience. Although we live in an era where we rely almost anything on the internet, having a stable internet connection is also one of the major concerns that aren't always within our control. 

Instead, what you can do is move to a location that is closer to the router. If that isn't an option for you, make sure that the surroundings have little to no obstructive objects that can cause interference. 

2. Quiet surroundings 

While working from home, if you do not have heavily soundproofed walls or live alone, it is rare to find a tranquil spot to hold your virtual meetings. And before you get frustrated or annoy others who are on the same call, perhaps you can opt to:

• Close all windows or move away from air vents.
• Find a location indoors to avoid noises caused by passing vehicles.
• Close unused applications that are causing your laptop's fans to whirr loudly.
• Mute your mic when you're not speaking.
• Are you using a mic? Move it further away from your mouth so others can't hear your breathing.

However, if you know the meeting date much earlier, look for a suitable spot way ahead of the actual date to avoid the last-minute scrambling. 

3. Camera and microphone test 

Testing your camera and microphone before your virtual meeting is just as crucial as searching for a suitable location. While you can use an external, most laptops today come with a built-in camera and microphone. Take some time to test them beforehand to ensure they are functioning well and the microphone's "input" volume levels are good. Should your presentation contains video clips, make sure you test run with a colleague if they can hear the audio.

4. Clean background

Today, many would associate "working from home" with comfortable loungewear and, for the ladies, going through the day without putting on any makeup. While those are few contributing factors of individuals choosing not to turn on their camera during their virtual call, another reason is that they cannot find a space with a clean background. 

Understandably, it can be challenging to find a space that has the perfect combo of great lighting and setting, soundproof room, stable internet, and distraction proof, unlike in an office. The good news is many video conferencing tools today like Teams and Zoom allows you to set custom backdrops to hide everything behind you. Just make sure you have sufficient lighting and not wearing the same colour as your background for optimum results. 

In other words, it is time to clean up, put on some presentable clothes and be camera ready!

5. Light up the world

Do you know why sunflowers face the sun? Elaborate scientific explanation aside, it is because the sunlight makes them striking to pollinators' eyes. Good lighting makes you look and feel more confident, and it keeps other virtual meeting goers pay attention when you are speaking.

To ensure you get the best lighting, avoid relying solely on a direct light source directly above you, as it will cast unflattering shadows on your face. Instead, try placing additional lights behind your laptop/ webcam to the left and right. Alternatively, you can also place a beauty/ ring light behind your camera to illuminate your face.

6. All about the angles

The last thing you want your colleagues or business partners to see is a bad up-the-nose angle, especially when you are in a serious meeting. The best way to position your camera is to have it pointing at your eye level or right at your hairline, slightly angled down at your eyes. If you are using your laptop's camera and find it too low to reach your eye level, stack up some books or set your device on a stand to give you the desired angle. To add on, you also don't want to pull your laptop too close to yourself. Allocate about an arm's length to ensure you don't end up with a distorted face.

7. Declutter your desktop and close unnecessary applications

Sharing is caring - not when you have too many documents or applications open on your desktop, preventing you from sharing the correct information efficiently. If you have experienced the sudden request to share your screen or the tasks you have been working on, you may have felt the slight panic attack incapable of identifying the correct file. At times like this, it is also common that some applications just decided to lag or be "not responsive", so coincidentally.

To prevent having unnecessary stresses of such, close unrelated applications or files before starting the virtual meeting. If required, try to rearrange your desktop screen to look more organised, or you can choose to open up a second desktop have all materials related to the meeting open and ready.

Conclusion

When we have to stay apart, we are fortunate to have the technology to keep working and stay connected. Like every other skill, running a smooth and successful virtual meeting takes time to hone it. With these tips, we hope that the upcoming virtual meetings will be better than ever. 

To learn more about Adecco’s HR solutions, drop us an email at marketing.my@adecco.my or fill in a quick enquiry here. We care and are ready to help you!