Best Practices: Setting the Stage

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Working in a virtual environment means it’s easy to get distracted.

Meeting participants have email, social media, and phone (not to mention other potential household distractions) at their fingertips.

To truly engage, you have to set the stage.

Log on a few minutes early, to ensure the meeting is set up well.

Close other applications to limit distractions and ensure your notifications don’t pop up

‍ If you are screen sharing, only have the applications you will use in the meeting open. This also conserves bandwidth.

Turn your camera on, at least to say hi. It’s fun to attach a face to the name, and adds the human element that can be missing when you work online.

️ Check your background and make sure it is free of clutter or distractions, or consider using one of the built-in backdrops available on many video platforms.

Pay attention to lighting. If you’re backlit, no one will be able to see your face. Aim for lighting that comes from behind the camera/your computer screen. Many small portable lamps are available that can be positioned behind your screen while you are meeting.

Check your audio quality and make sure that you have a good microphone or headset so that participants can hear you clearly.