Meetiquette for 2022

The real best practices of hybrid collaboration…

Offices successfully scrambled to maintain workflow and communication over the challenges presented by the global pandemic. Employees created solutions for remote collaboration, and managers learned to facilitate projects using technology.

Productivity has been remotely maintained (or even improved) but we’ve all experienced an occasion where our hastily-adopted online work etiquette has fallen short. We can improve our professional skillset by adhering to the best practices that have evolved alongside our new way of working; these three helpful questions can boost group engagement and smooth the process of hybrid/remote/in-person interactions. Ask yourself:

1) Does every meeting NEED to be hybrid? Sometimes it’s more technologically feasible for attendees to be all-virtual OR all in-person, especially if the meeting room is missing large screen monitors or is equipped with microphones unable to detect voices of in-person participants sitting at the far side of the conference table.

2) Does everyone have what they require for productive collaboration? Extra preparation and communication is necessary when meeting or working with a hybrid group. Room space and technology, personal devices, Wi-Fi considerations, agendas, and requests for information or presentations from participants should be planned, prepped, scheduled and communicated in advance. If meeting in an unfamiliar space, it’s helpful to scope out the room before the date — and to bring extra tech: webcams, laptops, mics and cords. Let attendees know if you are recording the meeting, and where they can find a link to replay or read transcripts. Provide a Teams forum for follow-up questions and discussion.

3) Does anyone need a refresher on hybrid e-Etiquette? Reminders can be useful…

• If your co-worker has strung police tape across the entrance of their office cubicle, pay attention! Dropping by with a question can interrupt an online meeting. Sum up the situation with a glance at your colleague’s engagement with their computer monitor before entering; even better, send a text or Teams chat first and ask if it’s a good time for an in-person visit.
• Unless attendees are specifically asked to turn cameras off for bandwidth reasons, it’s considered courteous to join a meeting with a face. In a hybrid meeting, all in-person attendees should also join the scheduled online meeting so they are visible to the virtual attendees.
• Just as important: join a remote or hybrid meeting with your microphone MUTED. Mics should remain off unless an attendee is actively participating in a conversation; with headphones, every *sniff* *cough* and *STOP BARKING!* is painfully amplified.
• Working from home can blur the lines of a traditional work-day, but consider before sending an after-hours email that may ping a remote worker’s laptop, tablet and cellphone. Is it urgent? Can it wait or be scheduled to send?

These simple reminders will help foster inclusivity as technology continues to evolve and advance. Whether working hybrid, remote or in-person, real best practices will always be grounded in consideration and respect for your customers and co-workers. ~

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