The popularity and utilization of on-line platforms have increased enormously in the recent times throughout the world. Zoom meeting is also one of them that have been used by almost everybody in one way or another. The current challenges in the form of quarantine rules and pandemic threat have built this trend. Therefore, people have taken a shift by adopting new trends and channels for the sake of survival.
However, there are certain principles to follow and mistakes to avoid in Zoom meeting. These mistakes if not avoided can cause undesirable interruptions and problems.
Following is the list of those things that one should not commit while using zoom meeting:
1. Neglecting Connectivity Issues
Before the commencement of online zoom meeting, you are advised to confirm the smooth functioning of internet connection. This is probably the most for granted problem particularly in remote areas. Poor connection can seriously affect the fluency of the meeting. The frozen video and audio disruptions due to connectivity issues hinders the continuity of the meeting.
2. Audio Quality and Noises
In order to maintain high quality audio during the zoom meeting, you are directed to consider some high quality mic options. External mic with a stand or headset with a mic-arm that relieves your hands can be of great help in this regard. You should always try to maintain an environment that ensures minimum noises to affect the audio quality.
Besides, to conduct a healthy and smooth meeting, you should always maintain a natural tone of your voice while speaking in the meeting. Sometimes it can cause an offence among your colleagues that are addressed. Sometimes, it is the manner of delivery that matters the most than subject matter of your speech.
3. Camera Setting
The position of your camera should be maintained at an angle that can cover your whole position to present you in a suitable way in the meeting. Bad camera angle cannot cover you, therefore getting your visual communication compromised.
In addition to that you should look at the camera. Always looking at yourself in the screen can give the impression that you are looking elsewhere, probably not interested. In this way, your whole professional image can be compromised.
4. Dim Lighting
The main purpose of the video meeting is to ensure your participation visible to other participants of the meeting. If your camera is on and still your partners cannot see you then it is totally useless. This is why you should try to sit in proper light so that your face is visible in the meeting.
Apart from this, you should also place the position of light in the front of your face. Otherwise, having the light source behind your face can darken the view and thus affecting your video quality.
5. Prolonged Pauses
In the meeting, you are advised to avoid lengthy pauses as much as you can. Unnecessary and prolonged pauses can be annoying for other participants. It is also due to the reason that the natural cues i.e. body gestures and postures are generally lacking in online meetings. Therefore, some people take more time to process their thoughts before they share them with other participants in the meeting.
6. Ignoring Participants’ Over all Engagement
Continuously contributing in the meeting without taking other participants’ involvement into account is an unprofessional and annoying habit. Therefore, you should keep in mind the overall contribution of every participant in the meeting.
7. Mishandling of Documents or Notes
If you are going to need some documents to present in the meeting, then manage their order beforehand. Other necessary notes should also be availed to avoid the disruption in the middle of the meeting. Otherwise, leaving the meeting in the middle to look for a file or document and arranging them in the meantime can cause unwanted disruption.
8. Screen Sharing
While contributing in the meeting, it is better to share the screen with your colleagues. It is quite helpful in encouraging the engagement among the participants while you share your screen with them. You can also highlight the important factors through the display of your cursor on your screen.
9. Ignoring Recording Features
Zoom meetings have the feature of recording. This feature is significantly important in helping the participants to revise the meeting in case they missed some thing or for the sake of convenience. Ignoring record feature at zoom meeting can cost you a lot some times. Therefore, you should not ignore the recording option.
10. No Explicit Agenda
For the sake of convenience and to ensure active involvement of the participants, it is better to state the main agenda of the meeting beforehand. If you are not stating the agenda of the meeting explicitly then the main purpose and objectives are simply compromised. Therefore, you should never ignore to share the main purpose with all the participants who will attend the meeting.
11. Compromising Etiquette
Online meeting has made it easier to communicate and work without much physical toil. It still demands to maintain the basic principles of professionalism. Ignoring the basic online meeting etiquette can portray your professional image as careless and inconsiderate of other participants’ time.
12. Ignoring Feedback
At the end of the meeting, a little feedback can be great as it helps to demonstrate the overall comprehension and involvement of the participants. Arranging a feedback session at the end of the meeting is also important in a way that it provides the necessary suggestions and problems. The participants get a chance to share them in the meeting through this feedback session.
13. Lack of Moderation or Host Absence
For the sake of smooth processing of things in the meeting, it is mandatory to have a host or moderator in the meeting. An online meeting without a moderator simply means chaos. The whole purpose and agenda of the meeting is simply compromised if the role of moderator is not assigned to one of the participant in the meeting. However, the manner of moderation is subject to the context and purpose of the meeting. Even though, a moderator’s need is further demanded in large meetings.
14. No Practice or Rehearsal Before Meeting
If you are expecting an online meeting with your colleagues, then it better to have a look through the perquisites and important basics of the meeting. Having an understanding of the meeting before its commencement can really be of help for the overall purpose. Therefore, in the interest of meeting’s better outcomes, you should have a little rehearsal. In addition to that, with little preparation, you can make your contribution to the meeting constructive and beneficial.
15. Distractions
You are strictly advised to minimize distractions of any kind as much as possible. If you do not pay heed to the possible distractions in the surrounding, then it can cause distraction in the meeting. These distractions can be of various nature. They can be the noises in the surrounding or different things in your background that can be seen from your video in the meeting.
Therefore, it is always advised to keep the background clean. The background mess can be solved through the use of virtual backgrounds. Moreover, you should select the place of your meeting where the possibility of interventions is minimum.
16. Forgetting Unmute Feature
The possibility of this mistake is very common. The participants sometimes start talking without unmuting their mics. They are most likely to forget it in the flow of their discussion.
In addition to that, when you are not speaking in the meeting, then you are advised to mute yourself. In this way, unwanted disturbance form your mic can be discarded easily. It is also one of the common mistakes that most of the participant do.
17. Avoiding Headphones
The importance of headphones cannot be overlooked in this regard. For the sake of convenience in listening to the presentations of other participants, it is better to have a headphone. This helps in enhancing the communication among participants in the meeting.
18. Receiving Notifications
For minimum possible interruptions in the meeting, you are advised to turn off the notifications. It is because when you share your screen with other participants in the meeting, your notifications are visible to all of them. To keep your own privacy and to avoid the distraction that it can create, it is better turn off the notifications before the commencement of your online meeting.
Conclusion
All of the above mistakes should be avoided if you want your zoom meeting effective and constructive. Negligence of any of the above mentioned mistakes can cause delay and disturbance in the meeting. Keep all of these mistakes in mind and try to be efficient as much as you can be in experiencing the Zoom meeting.