{"id":17592,"date":"2020-12-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-25T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.smarteventi.it\/online-meeting-etiquette.html"},"modified":"2020-12-25T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-12-25T00:00:00","slug":"online-meeting-etiquette","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.smarteventi.it\/en\/online-meeting-etiquette.html","title":{"rendered":"Don’t do it on Zoom! A small guide to online meeting etiquette"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Lockdown is hard, even tragic in many ways, and it has altered our lives more than we could ever have imagined. And yet we can\u2019t deny it has had \u201clighter\u201d and funnier consequences as well. The abrupt shift from traditional office meetings to Zoom or Skype<\/strong><\/a> ones has taken those less accustomed to these tools by surprise, creating often hilarious or embarrassing situations that are not covered by traditional office etiquette. We thought we\u2019d lighten the mood by compiling a small guide to online meeting etiquette<\/strong>, with a reasonable list of dos and don’ts that will ensure everyone has a pleasant, productive, and mostly embarrassment-free experience.
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1. Food and drink: if you wouldn\u2019t do it in your office, don\u2019t do it in an online meeting<\/h3>\n

When taking part in a Zoom meeting, you might be feeling less social pressure than you would in the office. After all, you are in your living room (or even your bedroom), surrounded by familiar things and people. Why wouldn\u2019t you feel \u201cat home\u201d, since that\u2019s literally where you are? Hence your sudden craving for a sandwich, a beer, or even a cigarette. While no one expects the same level of formality that you would experience in the office, it is still worth keeping a minimum of discipline and focus on the call<\/strong>. This means that no matter how you organise your home office, you should avoid eating a full meal, smoking, or drinking alcohol during meetings. A cup of coffee, tea, or a glass of water are acceptable, just as they would be in a normal meeting room, everything else might just make your colleagues uncomfortable.<\/p>\n

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Call us today to plan your next remote team building!<\/a>\n

2. Background and clothing: the fine line between casual and messy<\/h3>\n

We have all smiled, in recent months, at the background choices of talk show guests and TV commentators streaming from home. There were those who equipped themselves with green screens and large photos of landscapes, those who looked for the most neutral wall in the house, those who showed off a well-stocked bookcase, and those who chose to add a “green” touch to the conversation by streaming from their garden or terrace. All of these are valid options, with only one condition to be observed: make sure your background is neither dirty nor messy, and that there are no obviously distracting elements behind or around you. The same goes for your choice of attire: it is not necessary to show up in a suit and tie or an evening dress, with impeccable hair and make-up. Just try not to be like journalist Will Reeve, who appeared to have forgotten to wear trousers before appearing on American TV!
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