Meeting habits for a new age

After more than 3 months of working from home and umpteen meetings using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex and Skype, I feel like I have been looking up a lot of noses! I am referring to the camera angle that arises when someone is using a laptop at desk height with the screen camera tilted back – not the most flattering angle to view most people.

This experience, and the fact that video conferences are clearly going to remain in frequent use moving forward, made me reflect on the business of meetings and how protocol and good practice may be changing as we move to more online interaction.

Over 25 years ago, a colleague of mine, when discussing face to face meetings with clients or prospects, would say “give yourself a 100% chance” – meaning don’t let your conduct or appearance distract from your message. For him this meant be on time with tie straight, shoes shined and suit pressed.

These days, the shiny shoes may not be relevant for online meetings, but how should we think about how we present ourselves in the context of video conferencing? For me, one of the nice things about video conferencing during the work from home period has been the informality of it, and the shared humanity – seeing inside other people’s homes, having their children interrupt a meeting to show us a new toy or hug their parent, people having to get up to let the dog out. It feels like an important recognition that our working lives and personal lives need not be kept so far apart.

So what should the etiquette of video meetings be moving forward? Everyone will have their own take on this, but mine is: we are working from home, and family walking past the camera, household noise, the dog barking, are part of the deal. We are also working and engaging with external people in a professional context, so while a business shirt might look out of place sitting at home, a tee shirt and a 3 day growth does not seem right either. Time to elevate the camera or buy an external camera to avoid the nose angle. And a good headset makes hearing and being heard that much easier.

We are interested in any other thoughts people may have for online meetings in the future. Drop us a line if you have any suggestions to share.