Corrections or additions?
This article by Kathleen McGinn Spring was prepared for the May 29, 2002 edition of U.S. 1 Newspaper. All rights reserved.
Videoconferencing, Yes; Candid Camera, No
Just because your company has the hardware and software
to put together a videoconference does not mean you will be successful
at it. When you set up those cameras to beam faces and voices across
the miles, you need to be sure those faces and and voices are camera
ready.
In her book, “Rude Awakenings: Overcoming the Civility Crisis
in the Workplace,” (May 2002) Giovinella Gonthier, a former
ambassador to the United Nations and president of Civility Associates
in Chicago, warns about the mistakes that can ruin your videoconference.
Following are excerpts from her book (co-authored with Kevin Morrissey,
published by Dearborn Trade Publishing).
Problem: Failure to prepare for the mediumSolution: I advise organizations to stage a mock meeting when theyare about to videoconference for the first time. It is a good wayto familiarize yourselves with the medium, which is growing by leapsand bounds thanks to the increasing complications and costs of airtravel.However, first-time use of this meeting forum is fraught with peril,particularly if you are videoconferencing with clients. You couldeasily mouth something disparaging and get caught, for example. Theregoes the account! Tell your participants that a videoconference isnot to be watched passively. They are not on a couch at home! Theyshould come professionally prepared to make contributions.Problem: Inappropriate posture or behaviorSolution: This type of behavior shows that you are not paying attention.Clean up your act; you’re on TV, after all. The camera has a rovingeye and will catch you scratching your nose while gazing at the ceilingin utter boredom, making faces or vulgar gestures, doodling pornographically,or talking to each other. Big mistake. Just because you are not sharingthe same physical space does not mean that you are at liberty to misbehave.Even if you cannot see everyone else, assume they can all see you.Dress for an on-camera appearance. Pay attention to posture and actin command of yourself and your surroundings. Try to look relaxedand smile occasionally. Be aware of body language and facial expressions.If you yawn, cover your mouth. If you itch, scratch discreetly.Bear in mind that there is a voice delay in a videoconference andtake care not to interrupt. Be patient and wait for a couple of secondsafter someone has finished speaking before taking your turn. Thisis especially important when some participants are overseas.Also, as with all technology, things can go wrong. This is not a magicalblack box! Remain calm, if this happens. A professional technicianwill have a sign saying, “We are experiencing technical difficulties”come up on the screen. Keep your composure.Problem: Eating and drinking during a videoconference.Solution: Unwrapping, crunching, and other eating sounds are magnifiedand even more unpleasant in virtual meetings. In videoconferences,the noise may trigger a signal switch causing the camera to rotateautomatically, putting you on-screen with a mouthful of food. Thiswill make you look unsightly and cause the person who was originallyspeaking to lose focus and become upset.Problem: Uncivilized accoutrements on the meeting tableSolution: Having a sea of Styrofoam cups on the table beside you depictsa lack of class, and writing with cheap throwaway pens on a bunchof dog-eared pads projects a less-than-upscale image. Pay attentionto stage-managing the videoconference, especially if you are conductingbusiness overseas. It absolutely bewilders many people in other cultureshow we U.S. Americans, the richest people on earth, seem to surroundourselves with so much junk.This is an opportunity to use that expensive pen your aunt gave youat graduation and that handsome leather portfolio you received fordoing some thankless job. Make a point of bringing along a real glassto drink water from or a nice china cup and saucer for your coffeeor tea. And use real spoons, not those plastic stirrers!Artwork and photos on walls, as well as plants, are recommended asbackdrops for this medium so that people will focus on you, the speaker,and not on the blank walls or bare room. If this is an overseas account,hang diverse art.Use name tent cards with large lettering that is readable throughthe monitor. If you are videoed in your own office, tidy up the deskso that you look in control of your workload and your professionallife.Problem: No one directing the showSolution: Proceedings will begin to flounder if there is no in-controlchair making introductions, advancing an agenda, and otherwise connectingthe dots to complete a successful meeting. If you sense that the meetingis beginning to derail, ask a question designed to steer things backon track when you have the opportunity.Previous StoryNext StoryCorrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
