You might have already found your personal formula for a productive online meeting. However, if you are still wasting time instead of discussing important tasks, and your conferences are more like chaos, then check if you are observing these essential signs of productive calls, starting with using a good service like iMind. After that, perhaps you simply didn’t take into account some of the following.
What are the signs of productive calls?
1. The platform is comfortable for everyone
It’s not that important to choose the most popular platform. More correct – it should be the most convenient for everyone. If even one of your employees has to make extra efforts to log into your account or deal with an inconvenient interface, then such calls will only bring them irritation.
2. You have a moderator who guides the process
It is this person who:
- organizes a conference
- monitors the rules of the meeting
- gives everyone the opportunity to speak in turn
- resolves technical issues and possible disputes between team members
The moderator has to do his job. If an online meeting is organized by a leader who needs to switch to other processes from time to time, it is better to assign another person responsible for this task.
3. You mute your microphone when you’re not speaking
The tapping of the keyboard, new notifications on your smartphone or the rustle of turning over documents – these minor noises are not noticeable in everyday life. But if you have a video call, then everyone present clearly hears them. Muting your microphone when you’re not using it is a rule of ethics for online rallies.
4. You always remember to choose the right background
It’s best if each employee has a special workplace at home and the background remains static during a video call. You want to avoid having a workplace located in the center of their home and the employee’s relatives, personal belongings or animals getting into the camera lens occasionally.
5. You react to the interlocutor, as you would in usual communication
It can be difficult for a person on the other side of the screen to understand whether you are listening to him or just looking at the computer screen, or maybe you have been “hung” for a long time, and he spoke into the void for several minutes. Therefore, it is important not only to look at the camera, maintaining eye contact, but also to respond to the words of the interlocutor with nods and gestures.
6. You prepare for video calls
Working from home is still work. No one encourages you to sit in front of your home in a business suit, but a well-groomed appearance is a must.
Also, you need to take care of the correct lighting, angle and position in the frame. However, in order for the frame to be perfect, you need to know some nuances.
Here are some helpful hacks for setting shots to make the conversation more productive, so that after the conversation, only positive emotions remain:
Space
Try to choose a place where you will be surrounded by a background without small details. Ideally, there should be a wall behind you. This will not distract your colleagues from looking at objects in your room.
Light
Do not point the lamp at your face, it will appear flat and wide like a pancake. The best source of light is daylight. But even in this case, you should sit half-turned so that your figure is outlined by the shadows.
“Golden Ratio”
It is desirable that your eyes are on a line that leaves 2/3 of the frame below and 1/3 above the eyes. Leave enough space above your head, otherwise your head will rest against the edge of the frame and the interlocutors will be uncomfortable with you.
Smile
Don’t forget to smile.
Look the interlocutor “in the eye”
We call this the “star problem.” Just look at the camera lens, not at yourself in the video. This will create the effect of eye contact.
The world will certainly change. Already, work processes are being actively automated and digitalized in our lives. Video calling rules only make our work more productive, which is why it’s so important to stick to them.
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