As awesome as it is that a virtual meeting could be conducted from just about anywhere, that doesn’t mean it should be. For any video call you make, you must always consider your surroundings and see that they are appropriate for the occasion.
If you are hosting your call through a video chat app, you want it to be as welcoming and comfortable an experience as it would be if sitting across the table from a person. Essentially, you do not want the elements around you to negatively impact the conversation.
For your video conferencing sessions, please avoid the following spaces:
In the Car While Driving
Forget about the possibility of your online meeting being disturbed by the volume of your car’s stereo, or the sound of wind smacking up against your mobile phone. And let’s not even talk about your voice cutting out due to a poor reception.
Participating in a virtual meeting while driving is incredibly unsafe and – depending on where you live – very illegal. If you join a live video chat online when behind the wheel, lives are needlessly being put at risk.
If you have to get on to a call like this, pull over to the side of the road first.
Your Child’s Room
While many in the business world are more sympathetic these days to work-life balance, if you join a virtual meeting from your child’s room, chances are your youngster is very awake and wants your attention. Or if they are sleeping, loudly waking from a slumber is quite possible.
Video conferencing solutions for business should not be brought into a child’s room. Having kids whipping around will distract you, as well as those you are speaking with. To continue being a great worker, and an even better parent, consider scheduling video calls around times when you will have a few moments to yourself.
A Live Event
If you are at a concert, sporting competition, or theatre production, you will probably annoy a lot of people by joining a video chat.
Firstly, those on the other end of the call would be overwhelmed by all the sights and sounds they’re picking up in addition to your face and voice. What’s more, those seated around you at these venues will find it bothersome that you are commandeering their experience in order to take care of some virtual meeting business.
Poorly Lit Rooms
If you are working from home or a designated office space, each video call you participate in should feature quality lighting on your end. In this environment, you will have more than enough time to come up with a solution that works best.
When you travel, or have to work from a different, unfamiliar space on occasion, be diligent when it comes to finding an online meeting area that doesn’t resemble a black hole. As understanding as people can be, joining a virtual meeting in relative darkness will make it hard for those on the call to focus on what you are saying.
Bars and Nightclubs
Speaking of low-lit rooms, please, please, please, do not make bars or nightclubs a go-to spot for your virtual meetings.
Yes, some bars are quaint and you could theoretically conduct a call from there using your favourite online meeting platform. However, the chances of a venue like this getting loud, dark, or maybe even a bit unruly, means your call could go sideways in a hurry.
With nightclubs, meanwhile, unless those on your video call love strobe lights, pounding bass, and people shouting, pick somewhere else to chat from.
A Remote Area with Bad Internet Connectivity
If you are out on a hike, a camping trip, or held up in an area where Internet connectivity is weak, cut your losses and reschedule any video calls you might have booked.
No one likes it when a staff meeting – online or otherwise – is constantly interrupted because of a bad Internet signal. In most cases, this type of situation is avoidable unless an emergency call comes up.
Banty is an online meeting platform with a large number of solutions available for personal and business use.
