Think your coworkers don’t hear the seemingly subtle crunch of your afternoon snack? Or, perhaps they don’t notice in the webcam that the shirt you have on is the same one you slept in? Here’s a secret: they do notice, and it’s impacting how they perceive your work.
While our team at LHT has always worked remotely, many teams are new to remote work and could benefit from a few best practices.
Don’t eat on a conference call. Don’t prepare food, grab a quick bite, or clean up food during a meeting. Your colleagues will always hear it and will immediately be distracted from the discussion.
Look presentable. Just like great eLearning creates content connection when physical presence isn’t desired or possible, webcams create a personal and professional connection. Plan for webcams to be turned on during a meeting and look as if you were ready to have this conversation in person.
Stay focused on the meeting topic. Whether you are discussing your next sales training program or how to create a culture of compliance, stay on topic. It shows respect to all team members when you make the best use of your collective time together.
Be an expert with the mute button. Life happens. Kids shout, dogs bark, and laundry machines rumble. Be ready to promptly click the mute button, especially when you are not actively speaking or can anticipate background noise. If noises do happen, be kind and always give someone the benefit of the doubt.
Using these best practices, along with a few virtual work tools, remote work is an efficient way to connect and create.
