video conferencing

Do You Live in a Noisy Household? Here’s How to Block Background Noise During Your Microsoft Teams Meetings

By in Technology Tags: , ,

Barking_Dog

When you’re participating in a Microsoft Teams meeting and you’re sharing your ideas with your coworkers, you want everyone to be able to hear what you’re saying. You want to sound professional! But that can sometimes be tough to do when your coworkers are hearing a lot of background noise as you’re speaking. Your message could be lost if your colleagues are distracted by your barking dog, noisy appliances, or the sound of papers being shuffled around.

But never fear! There is a way to eliminate this problem. You can block background noise within Teams by adjusting your settings. Just follow these steps:

1. On the top, right-hand side of the Teams window, click your profile picture/initials.

2. Click Settings.

3. A pop-up window will open. Click Devices.

4. Then, under “Noise suppression,” select one of the following options:

  • Auto (Default):  Teams will choose what it believes is the appropriate level of noise suppression, based on your level of background noise.
  • High:  All noise that isn’t speech will be suppressed. (Please note that this setting does use more of your computer’s resources.)
  • Low:  Low, persistent background noise (like the sound of a space heater) will be suppressed, but your audience would still be able to hear other sounds, like music.
  • Off:  Teams won’t suppress any background noise.

5. Close the pop-up window after making your selection, and your update will be saved.

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Reduce background noise in Teams meetings. (n.d.). Retrieved from: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/reduce-background-noise-in-teams-meetings-1a9c6819-137d-4b3b-a1c8-4ab20b234c0d

How to Be Charismatic on a Videoconference Call

By in Communication Tags: , ,

Charisma_Conference_Call

Videoconference calls can be kind of awkward. People often talk over each other. It’s difficult to see people’s expressions clearly. It can be challenging to interact and communicate.

As a result, even though you might be very charming in person, that may not come across during a videoconference call. A videoconference call is very different from a face-to-face meeting. On video, your charisma might not shine through.

But don’t despair! According to author Ray Smith, this is a skill that you can learn. There are things that you can do to make yourself more charismatic during videoconference calls. Just follow these simple steps:

  • Focus on your face – Make sure that your camera is zoomed in on your face. Ideally, your face should take up about a third of your screen. And you should make sure to have good lighting. You want the other participants to be able to see your facial expressions easily.
  • Nod and smile – During your meeting, try to nod encouragingly while others are speaking. It’s also a good idea to smile warmly at the other participants – and give a serious grin if someone cracks a joke. Nodding and smiling is really appealing behavior. It demonstrates that you’re listening closely, you’re interested in what other people are saying, and you’re fully engaged in the meeting.
  • Speak slowly and clearly – When you’re expressing your ideas, you should speak clearly and deliberately, and vary your pitch so you don’t sound like a robot. And remember to pause between thoughts. It will make your voice sound more charismatic and compelling to the other people attending the meeting.
  • Try to make eye contact – On a videoconference call, making eye contact is easier said than done!  But if you look into your camera while you speak, it will look like you’re making eye contact with the meeting participants. And this will make you seem more appealing and charismatic to your audience.
  • Give other people the chance to talk – Being charismatic involves more than just speaking well. It also involves giving other people the opportunity to talk, and then really listening to what they have to say. After you’re done speaking, ask other group members if they have anything that they’d like to share.

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Smith, R. A. (2020, November 30). How to boost your e-charisma. The Wall Street Journal, p. A11.

How to Make a Virtual Retirement Party Fun

By in Holidays and Celebrations Tags: , , ,

Virtual_Retirement_Party

A few months into the pandemic, one of our coworkers retired. It would have been great if we could have had a big party for him, with decorations and delicious desserts. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible. So we forged ahead with a Zoom retirement party, and I think it went really well. But it was difficult to plan. It was uncharted territory. It’s not easy to make a videoconference call fun.

If you find yourself facing a similar situation, author Ximena Vengoechea is here to help. She has provided some excellent tips on how to plan and execute a virtual retirement party that’s enjoyable and heartfelt (rather than tedious and awkward). Here’s what you need to do:

  • Pick the right time – Choose the day and time when the event will take place. Try to schedule it during work hours, if possible. (Right now, people are often working longer hours than ever, and may not appreciate having a work event scheduled during their dinnertime.)
  • Plan some activities – Plan one or two activities that will take place during the event. For instance, you could plan to do one or more of the following:
    • Ask participants to share a favorite memory about their colleague.
    • Ask participants to talk about something that they learned from their colleague or something that they’ve always admired about that person.
    • Show video clips of your coworkers talking about their colleague.
    • Put together a fun slideshow of pictures of your colleague going about his or her work or interacting with various coworkers.  
  • Keep the guest list small – Don’t invite too many people to the event. Small events are better, because everyone has a chance to talk and participate. If you invite a huge number of people, most of them won’t be able to get a word in edgewise.
  • Keep it short – Vengoechea suggests that you schedule the party to last 30 minutes. This is the perfect amount of time for people to voice their well-wishes. If it were any longer, people might run out of things to say, and then there would be a lot of awkward silences. Of course, if there are people who would like to stay on longer, they should be free to do so.
  • Keep it festive – When you write your party invitations, make sure that you tell people that this is going to be a happy celebration. Set the tone, right from the start. And as the host of the event, try to keep things fun and joyful. Even though you might really miss your colleague, this is a time to celebrate.

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Vengoechea, X. (n.d.). 6 tips for planning a (not awkward) virtual goodbye party for a coworker. The Muse. Retrieved from: https://www.themuse.com/advice/virtual-farewell-party-event-work

Using the Right Body Language During Video Conference Calls

By in Communication Tags: ,

Body_Language_During_Conference_Call

You’ve probably been attending a lot of video conference calls these days. And other than putting on a clean shirt and brushing your hair, you might not be giving a lot of thought to how you come across on camera. But just like with in-person meetings, body language is important. Using the right body language during a video conference call can help you to make a good impression on your clients and coworkers. Here are a few tips:

  • Smile – A genuine smile is really appealing, and will cause others to view you as friendly and likable. In addition, smiles are often contagious. If you smile, it will inspire other people to start smiling as well.
  • Don’t cross your arms – Even if you feel comfortable sitting this way, try not to do it. Others might think that you’re annoyed or impatient.
  • Lower your voice – Now don’t go too far. You don’t want to sound weird or like you’re recovering from a sore throat. But if you can lower your pitch just a little bit, it will help other people to take what you’re saying more seriously.
  • Maintain good posture – Even in a video conference call, it’s important to sit up straight. It makes you appear to be confident and in control. When people hunch over, they look like they’re unsure of what they’re saying.
  • Look at the camera when you speak – Try to look at the camera when you’re talking (rather than watching yourself talk on screen). You’ll look like you’re making good eye contact, which will help you to come across as interested and engaged in the conversation.
  • Don’t wave your hands around – It’s OK to make occasional hand gestures when you’re speaking. But try to keep them at a minimum, and move your hands slowly. Lots of quick movement will not translate well over video.
  • Try not to fidget – Try not to bounce in your chair, play with your hair, rub your hands together, or engage in other nervous activities. These types of behaviors will make you look like you’re bored with the meeting and dying for it to be over. It will also make you seem less trustworthy and dependable. If you find yourself starting to fidget, take a deep breath, place your feet squarely on the floor, and place your hands on your desk. Try your best to stay calm and still. You’ve got this.

And here’s one more suggestion. Think about your lighting and camera placement. If you’re sitting in the shadows or if your camera is positioned at a weird angle, people won’t be able to see your engaged expression or amazing body language! Try to make sure that there’s some light on your face, and that your camera is positioned correctly.

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Goman, C. K. (2013, September 17). 8 body language tips for video meetings. Zoom Blog. Retrieved from: https://blog.zoom.us/8-body-language-tips-video-meetings/

Lovgren, B. (n.d.). Working remote? These are the biggest dos and don’ts of video conferencing. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238902

How to Successfully Collaborate With Your Coworkers From a Distance

By in Communication Tags: , , ,

Video_Conference_Call

When you’re working from home, teamwork is essential. In order to get things done, you need to be able to communicate with your coworkers, share ideas, make group decisions, and get their input and assistance.

But collaborating with your coworkers when everyone is working remotely can be difficult. It was simple when everyone could just gather together in a room and discuss a project together. But trying to do something similar on a video conference call can be more challenging. On a conference call, it’s easier to be distracted and get off track. And sometimes, it’s harder to be heard.

Luckily, there are things you can do to make these types of collaborative sessions more productive and effective. Author Ximena Vengoechea suggests that you do the following:

  • Keep it focused – Video conference calls can be very tiring and it’s easy for participants to get distracted. So it’s important to keep them focused. This can be done by controlling the scope, cutting down on the number of participants, and making sure the meeting doesn’t run long.
    • Control the scope of the meeting. Think about the purpose of the meeting. What do you hope to accomplish? Make sure you have a clear understanding of what needs to be discussed and try to keep the other participants focused on that topic.
    • Cut down on the number of participants. Only include people who are really essential to the project. If too many people are in the meeting, they may have difficulty voicing their opinions and there’s more likely to be confusion and misunderstandings.
    • Make sure the meeting doesn’t run long. Meetings should be no longer than one hour. If you are unable to accomplish what you wanted to within that hour, schedule a follow-up meeting.
  • Make sure your meeting participants are prepared – Before the meeting, make sure to explain the purpose of the meeting and what you hope to accomplish. If meeting participants need to review certain documents or materials before the meeting, make sure to tell them that this is required, and make sure those materials are easily accessible.
  • Keep people engaged – During the meeting, stick to your agenda, try to prevent the conversation from veering off course, and try to keep things moving along. Make the meeting interactive by asking people questions, or asking them to use the tools in your video conferencing software to express their opinions. You may also want to consider enlisting one or two people to help you keep the conversation going if things seem to lag. And keep people’s minds from wandering by giving them jobs. For instance, you could ask one person to take notes, and another person to watch the time.
  • Use technology to capture people’s ideas – If you were brainstorming with a group of people and you were all in the same room, you would probably write down their ideas on a whiteboard or on stickie notes. You should do the same thing in your video conference meeting (for instance, by using a virtual whiteboard). This will help participants to get creative, generate more ideas, and notice trends and connections.
  • Wrap things up – At the end of the meeting, recap what was discussed and list any important decisions that were made. You want to ensure that every participant comes away with the same understanding of what happened during the meeting. Talk about next steps, and identify the people who will be responsible for completing follow-up work. Ask participants to email you with any thoughts or ideas that they didn’t have the opportunity to share. And finally, thank them for their time and effort.

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Vengoechea, X. (n.d.). 7 tips for running a successful team brainstorm – even when everyone’s remote. The Muse. Retrieved from: https://www.themuse.com/advice/remote-brainstorm-tips

Does Zoom Tire You Out? Here’s Why.

By in Communication Tags: , , ,

Zoom_Is_Tiring_2

If you’re working from home right now, you’re probably attending a lot of Zoom meetings. Zoom is a software that allows people to have video conference calls. Colleagues can see each other, talk, share their screens, etc. The software is easy to use, and people tend to rely on it heavily. It’s not unusual for people to have one or more Zoom meetings a day.

I’m thankful that we have a tool like Zoom to use for our team meetings. I also use Zoom on weekends to spend virtual time with friends and family. But I must admit that Zoom tires me out. I always feel a little exhausted after a video conference call or social gathering. And sometimes, instead of making me feel connected with other people, I find that Zoom meetings make me feel kind of lonely and disconnected.

If you experience similar feelings, you might chalk it up to being introverted, or not getting enough sleep at night. But in reality, it’s not about your personality or level of fatigue. According to author Kate Murphy, Zoom tires us out because it disrupts the way that we traditionally communicate with each other.

When we communicate with another person face-to-face, we pay attention to every change in that person’s facial expression. Every eye movement or head tilt gives us additional information. We rely on body language very heavily, and we often tend to mimic other people’s expressions to show that we understand and empathize with what they’re saying.

But according to researchers, Zoom doesn’t allow for that. There’s often a little lag. It’s difficult to see people’s expressions clearly. Sometimes it freezes up. So we can’t communicate the way that we’re used to communicating.

We try to compensate as best we can. We stare at other people’s faces, and try to read and mimic their expressions. But this is often difficult and tiring.

In addition, seeing our own faces on the screen can be very distracting. Not being able to make eye contact with the speakers can be disconcerting. And finally, there are often pauses and long moments of silence during Zoom meetings because people aren’t sure when it’s appropriate to speak. These pauses break up the flow of the conversation and can make things unintentionally awkward.

Still, Zoom is a great tool to use. It allows all of us to communicate from a distance, which is crucial. But if you do happen to be suffering from “Zoom fatigue,” you might want to call your family members this weekend rather than organizing a Zoom gathering. When you talk on the phone, you hear every sigh, laugh, and small change in tone. There are no confusing visual cues. Everything is synchronized perfectly. It can be the perfect palate cleanser!

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Murphy, K. (2020, April 29). Why Zoom is terrible. The New York Times. Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/29/sunday-review/zoom-video-conference.html

All About “Zoombombing” and How to Stop It

By in Technology Tags: , , , ,

Zoombombing

If you’re working from home right now, you’ve probably attended a few video conference calls. (I attend at least one a day.) And you may be using a software called “Zoom” to participate in those calls. Zoom allows colleagues to see each other, talk, share their screens, write on the screen, post messages, use personal photos as backdrops, and more. It’s really effective and versatile.

But lately, with the whole world relying on video-conferencing software like Zoom more heavily than ever, a new security issue has emerged. It’s called “Zoombombing.” This is when people who have nothing better to do with their time join Zoom meetings uninvited and disrupt them. Often they do this by displaying some sort of pornography or racist imagery.

Recent Zoom events (including a storytelling event for children, a livestreamed church service, and an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting) had to be abruptly ended after they were Zoombombed. I’m sure it must have been frustrating, disturbing, and upsetting for the hosts and participants.

But there are things that you can do to prevent this from happening! Most of the steps need to be taken by the Zoom host before the Zoom meeting starts. Certain settings need to be adjusted, such as creating a meeting password, allowing only the host to share his or her screen, turning off the annotation feature (which allows users to draw on the screen), etc. But there are also things that you can do if your meeting is Zoombombed to get rid of the person causing the disruption and mitigate the damage.

CNET and the New York Times both posted extremely thorough and informative articles on how to prevent Zoombombing (and deal with it if it happens). They provide step-by-step instructions on what you need to do to adjust your settings appropriately. Here are the links.

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/prevent-zoombombing-change-these-4-zoom-settings-now-for-secure-video-chat/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/style/zoom-security-tips.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article>

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