The use of video conferencing reached stratospheric levels when the global COVID pandemic forced us to confine ourselves to our homes. It was a way to maintain communication (albeit digital) with family and friends and to complete study assignments at home and at work.

The use of video conferencing is here to stay. Remote work has always been the case, but the pandemic has also brought about profound changes in work environments in favor of hybrid environments. In companies, in addition to specialized applications that also ensure collaboration and productivity, many other details need to be taken into account.

Tips for the ideal video conference

If you want to chat with a friend, it might be worth turning on your laptop (or mobile), clicking on an app and starting a webcam, connecting with the boss of your company, a tutor at your university or HR and applying for a job, requires a different type of approach, behavior, clothes, home office care… There are things to do and others to avoid. We will review the main ones.

Fix your environment

• Clean the room and the table. There are environments that are terrifying…
• Check the background that will be seen behind you and make sure there is nothing inappropriate. For example, a target with a boss face. Or worse things.
• Choose a secluded location, preferably with a door, so that you can hold the meeting without interruption.
• In this regard, silence your cell phone to avoid interruptions.
• Inform the family about the meeting time. You work. Or take a virtual exam.
• If you have small children, please ensure that they remain occupied during the video conference.
• Keep your pets out of the gathering area.
• Choose a virtual background in apps like Microsoft Teams and Zoom to hide cluttered backgrounds.
• Keep water and tea/coffee handy in case the video conference runs long.

Pay attention to your clothes

• Think of video conferencing as a face-to-face meeting and follow the right habits. You cannot be in underwear, panties or naked from the stomach down. The webcam can move down an inch and whatever happens… everything was seen.
• Before you sit down for a meeting, keep yourself clean. If you have a mother on the other side, no problem; Mothers forgive everything. But you see some things… Imagine you want to flirt with the girl of your dreams.
• For more serious topics, put on a professional face (even if it costs you) because it adds a sense of normalcy to the long-distance conversation.
• Wear comfortable but “presentable” clothes and avoid colors that are too light or too dark. Adjust the exposure and brightness of the webcam well so that you can be seen as best as possible.
• Look for a camera with good posture. And preferably at the desk, not lying on the couch.

Set up your equipment and furniture

• Choose a comfortable chair to sit on.
• Use a monitor during professional meetings that allows you to easily view slides and tables. A smartphone screen is only useful for casual meetings.
• Invest in good noise canceling headphones.
• Learn to easily handle the chat application you will be using. Some are very simple, but others that provide productivity or collaboration are more complex.
• Pay special attention to any settings you may need during the meeting.
• Avoid backlighting, it could obscure your face. Natural light or ceiling lights are ideal.
• Nothing is as important in video conferencing as good bandwidth. Use the best internet connection available.
• If the meeting is critical, have an alternate connection ready. For example, you can set up a separate Wi-Fi hotspot using smartphone data.
• Quit unnecessary applications and background programs that use a lot of bandwidth.
• Turn off meeting progress notifications.
• Before the actual meeting, test your equipment with someone you trust.
• Try a webcam. The background, the frame that will be seen and the effect of the light in the interior.
• Place your webcam at eye level so you can make eye contact with other meeting participants.
• If you plan to share your screen, make sure your personal data doesn’t get out. Or inappropriate content.

Manage your time and the time of others

• Plan the video conference well in advance.
• Always be on time. It’s helpful to be online a few minutes before the meeting starts.
• If you cannot attend the meeting or will be late, let the person leading the meeting know in advance.
• Turn on and activate your conference equipment in advance to avoid last-minute technical problems.
• Avoid serious video conferencing away from the desk. On the subway or in the car, video conferencing is neither safe nor effective.
• Consider an audio meeting as a last resort.

Organize your thoughts

• If you are leading the meeting, set a clear agenda with a start and end time.
• Keep all the data you need as accessible as possible.
• Mark everything essential for the meeting.
• Clean up your desktop so you have the right information available at a glance.
• Write down the questions so that you can submit them at the right time.
• Share content and files before the meeting to ensure all participants are ready for the discussion.

Mind your manners

• Imagine if all team members don’t know each other.
• Remember that facial expressions express your thoughts without other gestures or sound.
• Use visual cues (such as a raised palm) to indicate that you want to speak.
• Participate by speaking clearly into the microphone. Staying silent or turning off your webcam is like filling a real meeting.
• Turn off the microphone when you are not speaking, unless it is able to suppress background noise.
• If you need to move in the middle of a meeting to complete personal tasks, turn off the video to avoid distractions.
• Wait for the other person to finish. It’s hard to talk all together in a virtual meeting.
• Do not eat during the appointment. Just water, liquids, coffee or tea.

Stay present

• Avoid multitasking or moving to social media and messaging apps while on a video conference.
• To make eye contact with a meeting participant, look at the camera, not at the person’s face or background.
• Use the text chat feature, if available, to support questions and to link to relevant documents.
• If you led the meeting, be the last to sign out. And a warm smile or hello at the end of the meeting… even if it didn’t go as well as you expected.