Some Essentials for a Successful Meeting
- Check your connectivity before the meeting
It’s important to make sure that you’re in a place that has stable internet connection when joining a meeting. You can always join a test meeting by going to https://csuci.zoom.us/test and clicking the ‘Join’ button. - Check Your Lighting
Good lighting is essential so that others in the meeting are able to see you clearly. Avoid dimly lit areas or sitting directly in front of a window or other bright areas as this can lead to you appearing as an ominous silhouette.
- Mute yourself when you’re not speaking
Use the mute button when you’re not actively speaking in a meeting. This has multiple benefits such as; it can prevent extraneous echo, reducing distractions from ambient or background noise such as others in a shared office space, shuffling papers, etc. - Be present and remember that you’re on video
Zoom meetings are often conducted with video, meaning that others can see what you’re doing. So, it’s best to avoid things like eating your lunch or, heaven forbid, changing your clothes you’re in a Zoom meeting. Be present during the meeting and actively engage with the participants of the meeting. If you absolutely need to do something else, turn your camera off for a few moments.
Special Considerations for Mixed Attendance Meeting
In the event that there are several people in one physical space with others online, it is important to delegate someone to facilitate interaction between the in-person and online attendants. This person will also be able to facilitate other participant controls such as muting those who may have extraneous noise coming through their microphones. Some specific things to consider are:
- Webcam Position
If you’re sitting with a group at a conference table, having your webcam sitting at eye level via a laptop isn’t going to be ideal. Instead, consider using a webcam tripod to raise the angle of the camera slightly and place it at the end of the table so that online participants can see everyone at the table. This makes it easier for online participants to see who’s speaking instead of just hearing voices while only being able to see a select few people in the room. - Consider a Second Laptop in the Room
Having a second laptop in addition to whichever computer is serving as the host of the meeting can prove helpful for large group meetings with online participants. For example, if there is a primary computer hooked up in the room that’s acting as the host and primary screen-sharing machine, it will be difficult to facilitate online interaction such as chat that may be happening. This can easily be remedied by having a secondary laptop also joined in the meeting with the mic muted and the video turned off.
