Are you all in on videoconferencing? Take some expert advice
April 10, 2020
Are you among the many new Zoom users out there? Maybe you’re an occasional videoconferencing user who now feels like a full-time one?
Amos Kittelson has some valuable advice.
The owner of Sidewalk Technologies, which assists businesses with videoconferencing and streaming, has heard from plenty of people in recent weeks as they look for best practices.
“One I know of is using it to create water cooler moments,” he said. “Set up your Zoom meeting on a second device like an iPad, plug it in and keep it connected but muted to your team all day. If you have a question just unmute and ask away. This is a great way to break down the distance and feel more like you’re in the same building.”
The idea is to make videoconferencing as in-person-like as possible, he said.
“When done well, the technology tends to disappear quickly … until you end up looking up someone’s nose.”
He sent out some advice to a team ahead of a five-hour videoconference that he offered to share with others:
- Elevate your camera to eye level. If the laptop is on your lap while sitting on the couch, you’ll be looking up at chins and noses. Not good.
- While looking at your colleagues on the screen, your image is right next to theirs and the video of your eyes darting around the screen looking at email is distracting. We recommend putting your keyboard or mouse away so it’s not so tempting to multitask.
- Your computer does a great job of picking up your vibrating phone and that gets amplified to the others. Silencing your phone is golden.
- Care about your video. Zoom in, center, reduce bright glare, try closing window shades. We want to see the whites of your eyes and your upper body language, not a silhouette of your likeness.
- If you wouldn’t do it in person, don’t do it in your own space while on video.
- Close your office door, and put a sign up that reads “None shall pass unless you answer these three questions: Someone’s bleeding, someone’s choking, we’re out of TP” or something like that.
