Virtual meetings surely give you the convenience of showing up in your pajamas and attending meetings from your bed, but it isn’t the ideal way to do so. We are in 2022 and have evolved so much professionally. And, seeing the hype around online platforms, it can be said that online meetings are going to take over the traditional method of hosting meetings. So does it mean you are going to show up in your pajamas for the rest of your life? No, right!
Apart from this, there are several other things that you should consider as an attendee. Here, in this blog, we are sharing with you some online meeting etiquette for remote employees.
Ask For the Meeting Agenda:
If you get invited to a virtual meeting without having an agenda, it’s better to ask for an event agenda. It will show your excitement about the meeting, and that you like to go organized. Not having the event agenda will simply waste your time and won’t lead to anything positive. Also, it will only show that you don’t respect your time. So, if you don’t respect your own time, you can’t expect others to do the same. Ask for an event agenda or an event itinerary that will help you save your time and make things easy for you.
Show Up Prepared:
If you are about to attend an online meeting, we suggest you show up prepared for it. It becomes necessary when you are attending your team meeting and are well aware of the agenda. It will show your willingness to work and inclusivity.
Don’t Multitask:
When you’re attending the meeting, ensure you are single-handedly focusing on the meeting. Don’t try to multitask in between meetings. You would try to do it subtly, but we are sure things will get very obvious. And it will only reflect your unprofessional attitude. Also, managing two tasks at one time would lead to nowhere, as you won’t be able to focus on either of them.
Prepare Your Mind:
The next thing you need to do is prepare your mind before logging on to the virtual meeting platform. It means you need to prepare yourself for the meeting. Stretch your body, complete your tasks, have a water bottle on your table, Grab a cup of coffee, and have a seat in a different room. One idea to do is put on some nice fresh clothes that will help you get into your work mode.
Let Others Know You’re in a Meeting:
Another thing that you should do is tell others that you are attending a meeting. It becomes extremely important if you are generally surrounded by people, or you share your space with people. Ask them to not interrupt you while you attend the meeting.
Avoid Distractions:
Virtual events and meetings come with several distractions, and it is important to avoid them when you are attending one. You should turn off all your notifications; or better put your mobile phone on silent mode. Also, while attending your meeting from your laptop or computer, close all the unnecessary tabs and the ones that can be distracting. As tempting as it may get, we are sure you can gossip with your friends once the meeting is over.
Show Up Early:
It’s always better to show up early rather than be on time or late. It clearly shows your professionalism and discipline. Also, as we mentioned, virtual meetings have several distractions; hence, we are sure you will get distracted and completely forget about logging in and attending the meeting. Therefore, it is always a good idea to log in a few minutes early. Also, if you think you are going to log in late, show some ethics and inform the meeting organizer about the same; it shows you are responsible.
Keep the Camera On and Mic Off:
One thing you should never forget is to log in with your camera turned on and the mic off. Showing up with the video is a great way to add the human touch to the virtual meeting. Just think to yourself; if you are hosting a virtual meeting and all the attendees show up with their cameras off. How would it feel to host a group of blank and black screens? It didn’t feel good, Right? Hence, always keep your cameras off, unless you feel there’s no need or the meeting host allows you to do so.
The same goes for audio; always keep your mics off, unless you want to say something.
Deal With Your Interruptions Smoothly:
The next and last thing you should do is deal with your interruptions in a healthy manner. If any of your family members interrupt you, or you get an urgent call, just excuse yourself, and then take appropriate action. Remember, you are live in the meeting, and others will be noticing you; We are sure you’d want to leave a bad impression on your fellow attendees.
We all have had the impression that since virtual meetings are conducted on the internet, you don’t need to behave professionally. However, what we always overlook is that virtual meetings are a kind of meeting and you should always behave professionally. We hope you find this guide helpful; the next time you attend a virtual meeting, don’t forget to imply these guidelines.
