A short list of tips to improve your participation in video conference calls that everyone will appreciate.
Video conference calls are now a way of life. It started long before COVID-19 but now we are finding video conferencing necessary to continue with day to day activities that we used to take for granted.
These tips will help you be a better participant in your conference calls and will provide you with some guidelines if you have to organise and manage video conference calls.
Table of Contents
Front and Centre
Sit close to and in front of the screen so that the other participants can see you clearly and it at least looks like you are interested in the conversation. Webcams have a wide field of view and sitting back even a metre or so from the screen will make it hard for people to see you properly.
Don’t sit in front of a window
The light from behind you will make you appear dark in the camera or wash out the image completely. It will be hard for the other participants to read your facial expressions which could lead to misunderstandings.
Use a microphone
An external microphone, even a cheap one, will sound much better than the one built in to the top of your laptop screen. The built in microphone tends to pick up a lot of noise from the keyboard and isn’t very directional so a lot of background noise gets into the mix. If you are going to be on a lot of video conference calls you might even be better off with a BlueTooth headset so that you have a bit more freedom of movement and less clutter on your desk.
Talk clearly and don’t hurry
When you talk make sure that you are facing the microphone and speak slowly and clearly. Not everyone on the call will have a high speed low latency connection so there may be dropouts. We’ve all heard echo and breaking up on conference calls and video conferences are no different.
Good lighting is essential
If you can, position yourself in a well lit location. Ideally you should be brightly lit from overhead and from the side. Position yourself near a window during the day for even natural light.
Position the camera at eye height
For a natural look position the webcam at around eye height. This gives the participants a view similar to having a regular in-person meeting resulting in better engagement.
Dress appropriately
You may be working from home but that doesn’t mean that you don’t need to dress as if you were in a face to face meeting. Maintain a professional image at all times. Don’t forget that the conference organiser may be recording the session.
Be sensitive to your surroundings
Your video conference may touch on privileged or sensitive issues. It may not be obvious to the other participants that you are working in an open office with colleagues close by when they share their screen with you.
If you know that a level of privacy is required book a conference room or move to a less public location. If something comes up during the call advise the meeting organiser that you should not continue with the topic until a more private call can be set up.
Don’t eat, go to the bathroom, or pick your nose
All of these things plus dozens of other sundry distractions can wait until the end of the call. Never forget that you are on camera.