10 Online Meeting Etiquette & Tips to Impress Your Boss

Part of the new norm at work will be having more online meetings instead of the usual face-to-face meetings. Many companies are opting for no-visitors policy at the moment to minimize contact with external parties. There is also social distancing standard operating procedure imposed by the government, which makes sense to conduct your meeting online.

Whether you are hosting an online meeting or just a participant, we have some tips and basic etiquettes for you to impress your boss and co-workers, most importantly to ensure a smooth meeting experience for all.

Hosting

1. Send your invitation via a calendar

Instead of sending an email of the meeting details, the calendar has a reminder option which you can set to trigger the participants before the meeting starts. Also, the calendar can be linked to the video conferencing app. Your participants will be thanking you for that convenience.

2. Include a dial-in option for your meeting

A dial-in option is handy when your participants do not have access to the computer, or facing technical difficulties to connect their audio device.

3. Appoint a co-host

Always appoint a co-host so that the meeting can start in the event you are late. It will save you the hassle of calling off the meeting and having to resend the schedule if you are unable to make it. Remember to notify the person of his/her role as a co-host and add them in the meeting prior to sending out the invitation.

4. Project the meeting agenda on the screen during the discussion

Always begin the meeting by projecting the agenda via screen sharing. It helps in keeping the meeting on time, making sure your participants are on track, and ensure you have gone through everything to be discussed.

5. Notify your attendees if video call is needed

Generally, video is not required unless stated. This is a courtesy in case the participants haven't dressed appropriately, or not convenient to show their faces on the video call.

6. Allow attendees to join the meeting, as well as do a simple soundcheck

The first few minutes are usually the period to get everyone settled down. Do not start your meeting immediately, but leave a room for everyone to test out their audio. You can start by saying hello to those who have joined the meeting. When they responded, it means their audio is working fine.

Participating

7. Isolate yourself from distraction

If you are working from home and required to attend an online meeting, make sure you have a designated area and free from distraction, especially when you have children. Remember the BBC News incident? It might be cute when going viral, but in a working environment, it is disrespectful to the other party as you will be wasting the other party's time by sorting out your personal matter. To save yourself from embarrassment, remember to lock your door and let your family know you are attending to an important meeting.

8. Be mindful of your background

Unless you are working in the office, remember to check your background if you will be turning on the video. Do check out some amazing backgrounds you can use on https://backgroundsbyikea.com/ . Simply download the template and upload it on Zoom or Microsoft Teams to use on your next video conference. 

9. Mute yourself when not talking

Even when you are not talking, your microphone do pick up sounds of the wind, background noises, etc. This might be distracting to other participants. Unmute yourself when you need to talk. 

10. Introduce yourself before speaking 

In a large meeting, there are usually a lot of people talking at once. Find a good slot to start your speech and always introduce yourself so that the other participants know who is presenting. This is extremely important, especially when you have participants who dial in to the meeting. 

Our advice is always to get used to the video conference app before you start your meeting. Familiarize yourself with the app and functions available, especially if you are the host of the meeting.