We’ve been Zooming, Go To Meeting-ing, and Microsoft Teaming for over a year now. So why is it that some people still haven’t learned what not to share on-camera?
The problem
When millions of us switched to remote work last year, we had to learn new ways to collaborate, meet, and keep business going. We started using online meeting tools to get stuff done. This has, for the most part, been working out great! But when we’re working from home, we tend not to be overly formal. A lot of us stopped dressing up for work or have been faking it by pairing a pretty shirt with sweatpants. That’s OK. What’s not OK is when people mistake informality for familiarity and start behaving like they might in front of friends and family.
I’m not talking about the occasional cat that jumps onto the keyboard or the kid who pops into the room to ask for a snack. No, that’s normal now. I’m talking about people who do things while they’re on camera that they might not do if they were meeting live, in person.
Here are my top five recommendations for when to mute your mic and turn off your camera:
5. Eating
I’ve seen a lot of people eat their meals on camera during business meetings. I get it, sometimes you have to nosh when you can. But I don’t need to see or listen to it. And I also don’t need you to talk with your mouth full. Puh-leeze.
4. Leaving
Things can happen during meetings that require your immediate attention. Maybe you need to let the dog out or break up an argument your kids are having. Please don’t just up and leave. Write a quick “BRB” in the chat, maybe give us the reason if you have time. Then turn off your camera and mute that mic.
3. Nose-clearing activities
Again, perfectly normal human behavior. But when you sense a big sneeze coming on or feel the need to vigorously wipe your nose, mute/end video. We don’t need to share the experience with you. I mean, come on! Boogers are, and always have been, gross.
2. Multitasking
I’ve seen people taking phone calls, looking off camera to answer emails and surf the web, and carry on conversations with other people in the room with them while they’re in a virtual meeting. Sometimes they even remember to mute their mics! Sometimes.
And my number-one recommendation:
1. Driving
Oh my God, I can’t believe I have to say this: DON’T ATTEND VIDEO MEETINGS AND DRIVE AT THE SAME TIME. It’s distracting for you and terrifying for everyone else at the meeting. Every time I see someone driving while meeting remotely (and we can all tell when they’re doing it because the scenery keeps changing), I’m wondering when they’re going to get into a wreck and imagining how helplessly I’d be watching it happen.
UPDATE: On May 6, 2021, it was reported that an Ohio state senator attended a Zoom meeting while driving in his car. He tried to disguise this by using a virtual background of his office. The punchline? The discussion was about the introduction of a distracted-driving bill in the state’s House of Representatives. Check it out!
Your thoughts?
I’m sure there are things you’ve seen people do at remote meetings that have left you wondering how many people were actually brought up in a barn/raised by wolves. Enter them in the comments, below!
Resources
For tips on how to do remote meetings right, check out this post about an easy way to be more energetic on camera and this one about keeping the human touch during remote presentations.