Participant Etiquette

Here are some tips and guidelines for attending an online meeting:

• Be respectful of your coworkers’ time. Log in to the meeting a few minutes early, and check your audio/video (A/V) setup to ensure that your devices are properly configured. Check your Audio Device settings to ensure that the audio device you are using is set as the microphone (this setting often defaults to your webcam microphone if one is plugged in).
• Use a wired network. Using a wireless network will impact your audio quality, and, if you are speaking, will degrade the meeting experience for all the participants.
• Use one of the recommended audio devices. You can view these devices at “Devices”. Many laptop microphones, speakers, or webcam microphones introduce echo or audio issues, causing distractions or drawing unwanted attention toward you, and detracting from others’ experience. It is important to note that the person causing audio issues rarely hears them.
• Mute your audio unless you are speaking. This will avoid introducing any unnecessary sounds and background noise.
• Find a quiet space. If possible, join the meeting from a place free of loud background noise, otherwise, each time you speak, the other participants will find it difficult to hear you.

Presenter Etiquette

If you’re conducting or presenting in an online meeting, use the following tips to make your meetings more effective:

• Make the most of your participants’ time. Upload documents, prepare programs, and organize presentation slides before the meeting starts.
• Encourage participation from remote participants. Often, those who are participating from outside the meeting room feel overlooked. As the presenter, it’s a good idea to pause from time to time and ask for questions or comments from remote participants.
• Use your mute capabilities. If a participant is creating a poor audio experience for everyone else, mute that person or ask him or her to rejoin the meeting using a recommended audio device or their telephone.

Word document Meeting_Etiquette_Guide