Best Practice
When hosting or participating in a virtual meeting there are a number of things that you should consider both in advance and during the meeting in terms of best practice and etiquette.
General guidelines
- Wear solid, neutral clothing; avoid stripes or heavily patterned clothing
- Test your connection in advance where possible
- Ensure all participants speak clearly to ensure they can be heard by remote sites
- Ensure that remote sites are made to feel like local attendees
- Use 'audio mute' where multiple remote sites are connected, to avoid unnecessary noise disruption
- Ensure all participants are made aware in advance if a videoconference is being recorded
Hosting a formal virtual meeting
- Circulate an agenda in advance to all participants
- Appoint a meeting moderator (not necessarily the meeting chairperson) - to manage local and remote participation / interaction effectively
Using a personal device to connect to a meeting
- Connect using wired internet connections where possible (rather than Wi-fi)
- Plug laptops into mains where possible (as using battery can affect video quality)
- Use headset or headphone & mic where possible when using a personal device
- Be aware of your surroundings. For example: -
- Find a quiet location if possible
- Avoid setting up in front of windows, in busy environments or in spaces with poor or uneven lighting