3 ways to have more authority than Jackie Weaver in virtual meetings
“Read the standing orders! Read them and understand them!”
While your meeting may not require standing orders like that Parish one did, make sure you arrive to important meetings fully prepared and ready and willing to take and answer questions where necessary. This may mean doing some pre-catch up reading, refreshing your knowledge of a certain topic or report or even being the one to share a useful document with the rest of the group, and will encourage you to have the confidence to raise questions in the meeting if there’s something you’re not 100 percent sure of, rather than trying to construct your question on the fly.
If you have access to a printer at home – we know not everyone does – reading any meeting notes or reports beforehand on paper, rather than on a screen, can help you to digest the information more easily. If you can’t print them out (or prefer not to for sustainability reasons, like us) try stepping away from your desk, dining table, or sofa to read them in a new environment. This will help you to concentrate on the task in hand, rather than being distracted by incoming emails, other projects or even the washing up in the corner of your eye. This is great practice for when we can have physical meetings again and bringing a copy of what you’ve read along with you can help you to feel more confident and prepared.
“Please refer to me as Britney Spears from now on..”
Unlike the stars of the famous video, you don’t need to reimagine yourself as an international popstar to make an impact in a virtual meeting, but how you present yourself does matter. We’re not just talking about the classic ‘shirt and pyjama bottoms’ lockdown fashion combo that keeps you comfy and presentable in one, this also includes your background, account name and sound and video quality.
If you’ve not got an office area at home (we envy those who have!) you might be spending 10 minutes before every virtual call double checking what can be seen behind you or around you in the shot. If that’s the case, Zoom and Teams offer a wide range of background effects that you can use to give the illusion you’re in a perfectly manicured environment, regardless of the truth! It’s also key to make sure your username is professional and - if you’re in an external call - your full name to help those who don’t work with you regularly to keep track of who is who.
But don’t fall into the trap of thinking that because your name is on the screen, you don’t need to introduce yourself to everyone on the call. Practice introducing yourself and your role in different ways until you find your sweet spot and use this confidence to own the room once we’re back in an office environment. Being mindful of display names and introductions especially applies to those who use the same virtual meeting account to take part in those all important lockdown quizzes – you don’t want your boss or clients to spend the whole call thinking you’re really called Quizteam-a Aguilera! And speaking of popstars, don’t be afraid of the Britney mic! If the microphone or speakers on your laptop or computer aren’t up to scratch, inexpensive solutions can make a huge difference, so speak to your HR team to see if a Home Workstation Assessment could provide the answers and the kit you need.
Behave as if it’s face-to-face
Because you’re behind a screen and can easily mute yourself to chat to someone else in the room or even turn off your camera and leave the room, it can be tempting to not give the meeting your full attention. Counteract this by behaving like you’re in the same space as everyone else on the call - stay attentive, maintain eye contact and only mute your microphone if background noise will distract others. This will keep you motivated to participate and keep any rummaging, fidgeting or losing focus to a minimum, as it’s all on display for those on the call, which may also subconsciously encourage others’ minds to wander alongside yours. This approach also keeps you prepared and up-to-date on meeting etiquette once face-to-face meetings resume and you can’t just nip out a make a coffee in the middle of a catchup or presentation! Hone your listening, questioning and participation skills from home, ready to take real-life meetings by storm in the (hopefully) not so distant future!
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