Following Virtual Team Meeting Etiquette (Background)

Checking Your Background
When you’re participating in a virtual conference call with clients or team members, concentrating on the conversation or presentation at hand can be a struggle. In fact, a recent survey found that during a regular conference call, 34 percent of the time was wasted by participants “decor peeping” into their coworkers’ homes rather than being fully present in a meeting. Additionally, an article published in The New York Times stated that “peeping at the flaws and flourishes in others’ living spaces is one of the sustaining pleasures of 21st-century self-isolation.”

These distractions are a problem, especially when your presentation, interview, sales call, training session, pitch to a new client, or client support is valuable and important, which it probably is. Your coworkers, clients, and vendors won’t take you seriously if you have a pile of dirty clothes or an unmade bed in the corner behind you. So, be sure to consider how to minimize disruptions around you and choose or create a background that helps to maintain focus.

Be sure that these personal touches don’t become background noise when on virtual conference calls. Make sure your background is professional, distraction-free, and work appropriate, and that the lighting is good, keeping in mind that natural lighting is best. Declutter the area that will be visible to others. Neutral-colored walls with a simple picture, plant, and lamp are always a good choice.

If your background is not ideal or distraction-free, most video conference tools have free digital backgrounds you can use. A quick Internet search will provide hundreds of background images that can seemingly transport you to a tropical paradise, the Eiffel Tower, a professional conference room, or even outer space.

In addition to showcasing a bit of your personality and keeping people focused on your message, using backgrounds can make people feel more comfortable attending a virtual meeting. In a recent poll, close to half of the workers surveyed said that their background setting is the main reason they don’t want to turn on their camera, and 75 percent said they would still prefer audio over video. If you agree with these statistics, it’s time to use these tips to upgrade your background and embrace virtual conference calls as the most valuable tool to connect, build trust, and foster engagement.

Source: Working From Home by Tara Powers, MS, et al.