Avoid doom on Zoom

Many employees across our city and country continue to work from home, and at this point, we’ve all probably experienced video conference calls, whether they’re on WebEx, Zoom or any number of other web-based solutions. For many, this method of interacting has become the new workplace normal.

But even if we’re getting more comfortable with virtual meetings, there is still always room for improvement. This is not the time to get sloppy with video conference etiquette. In fact, now is the chance to show your coworkers you mean business, while avoiding that feeling of frustration that comes when you leave a call and wonder, “Did my team actually understand the point I was trying to make?”

Kat Hasanovic, MSN, RN-BC, system director of Clinical Informatics for Baptist Health, offers some tips for maximizing your video conferencing success.

• Don’t set up a meeting before you know that all your key players are available. Verify that everyone’s calendars are cleared.
• When possible, send out the agenda in advance.
• If you set up the meeting, be prepared to serve as the moderator. You should set the tone and lead the meeting.
• Require everyone to join your video conference with video and audio, not just audio. This makes it slightly easier to read the room and gauge reactions to what you’re saying.
• Look into the camera, not at your screen. If you look at the screen when you’re speaking, it appears as though you’re looking down and not fully engaged.
• Introduce yourself each time you speak. If people aren’t paying attention to the camera, you want it to be clear that you are the one making your point.
• Dress professionally, as if you’re heading to a board room, not your desk at home. Also, make sure there’s nothing distracting in the background of your webcam.
• If you’re not speaking, use the mute button. Don’t forget to unmute yourself when you speak.
• At the end of the day, more efficient meetings lead to more productive teams. When we step up and take charge, using these tips as a guide, we’re all helping to advance our organizations during COVID-19 and beyond.

At Baptist Health, we want to help keep our community informed about COVID-19. For more information, visit baptistjax.com/covid19.