{"id":27634,"date":"2020-05-07T06:51:31","date_gmt":"2020-05-07T04:51:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.commercialcafe.com\/blog\/?p=27634"},"modified":"2025-11-24T19:51:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T16:51:36","slug":"online-meeting-etiquette-video-audio-meetings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.commercialcafe.com\/blog\/online-meeting-etiquette-video-audio-meetings\/","title":{"rendered":"Online Meeting Etiquette Guide for Both Video and Audio-Only Meetings"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nearly everyone who has recently transitioned into working from home is now having regular meetings online. Even in this new context, it\u2019s essential to keep meetings as efficient as possible \u2014 and adapting good in-person meeting manners to the online format can actually help with that. Now that we have quite a few of these under our proverbial belts, we put together an online meeting etiquette guide, based on our own experience within the team over the past few months. Read on for our breakdown of tried and tested advice for both audio-video and audio-only meetings.<\/p>\n

Some Rules Apply in Both Worlds<\/h2>\n

Most meeting etiquette guidance is applicable in both the real world and the digital world. Moreover, it\u2019s in the best interest of all participants to observe these courtesies as much as possible.<\/p>\n

Be on Time<\/h3>\n

Punctuality remains important. It may seem useless to state this when we\u2019re around the house all the time anyway, but it is important to be mindful of the temporary context that all participants are navigating \u2014 and be open about the challenges of yours \u2014 for a fair and inclusive scheduling process. For instance, you\u2019re likely also contributing to the change in e-commerce trends during COVID-19<\/a>, so be sure to account for things like a delivery ETA when scheduling meetings. Similarly, you may have carved out certain times during the day to dedicate to your children so they aren\u2019t \u201cseparated\u201d from an adult for eight hours straight. If so, it\u2019s absolutely fine to be open about this and include it in the collective scheduling process.<\/p>\n

Working from home with pets<\/a> might mean an unforeseen accident on your favorite carpet right before your meeting is about to start. If this or another situation occurs, take a moment to let another attendee know that you\u2019ll be a few minutes late. That way, everyone will be in the loop and you won\u2019t miss anything.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Dress Appropriately<\/h3>\n

While wearing a three-piece suit when working from home<\/a> is most likely not required, you\u2019re still expected to dress as though you\u2019re in a professional setting \u2014 at least when you\u2019re attending a video meeting. We tend to opt for comfort, and probably even more so now that so we are working from home. However, at the very minimum, don’t look like you just got out of bed<\/a> or joined the meeting right after an intense workout. Rather, look like you meant to be there. It not only shows that you take your time seriously, but also that you respect everyone else\u2019s time, as well.<\/p>\n

No Snacking<\/h3>\n

Unless participants agreed beforehand to make it a working lunch, resist the urge to snack. This applies to both meetings in physical conference rooms, as well as virtual video or audio-only meetings. You never know when you might be the one who forgets to mute your mic! Note that it is important to stay hydrated, though. So, if you have a lengthy meeting, it\u2019s perfectly acceptable to have your beverage of choice at hand. No slurping, of course.<\/p>\n

Say \u201cHello\u201d<\/h3>\n

Before you begin, take a headcount and make sure all participants are introduced to each other, if necessary, and that they understand why they were invited. This helps shorten that phase of organizational confusion that tends to set in at the start of group meetings and allows you to move on to the meeting agenda.<\/p>\n

Pay Attention<\/h3>\n

In this new environment, it might not be immediately apparent when your attention unintentionally slips away for a minute. But it will become evident eventually if you weren\u2019t taking mental notes. Unless you\u2019re using your phone as a platform for the meeting itself or to take actual notes \u2014 consider clarifying this bit for fellow attendees from the start \u2014 set it aside and check it when the meeting has concluded. Mute your phone and disable notifications either way. Likewise, if you\u2019re using a laptop or desktop, mute or turn off notifications there, as well. That is one distraction you can easily prevent.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Whose Turn Is It, Anyway?<\/h2>\n

Accept that talking over each other is inevitable when each meeting participant is in a different location. This most likely happens because of lags in varying quality of internet connectivity<\/a>. However, there are a few ways to significantly reduce the frequency of these occurrences:<\/p>\n