Zoom Etiquette in the New Norm

By JJ Rosen May 18, 2020
Canva People on a Video Call

5 Commandments of Zoom Etiquette

We all know those coworkers, clients, and even family members who struggle to adhere to basic Zoom etiquette.

A couple of weeks ago the homebound cast of Saturday Night Live pulled off a classic skit that made fun of quarantine life via a Zoom video conference call.  There was the “too close to the camera” lady who was 2 inches away from her webcam.  They had the “forgot to mute in the bathroom” character and the Zoom office jokester who did the already old “you only want to see me from the waist up” quip.

 

Zoom Etiquette - Nashville IT

The funny thing, of course, is that their portrayal of the new norm of video conferencing from our living room couches rings true to life.   For most people, Zoom and similar services are new.  The world has had to adopt a new way of communicating almost overnight.

In normal times, new technologies take a while to catch on.

They usually start with the “early adopters” (aka ‘”gadget geeks”) who, when it comes to tech, want to be first in line.  Often a younger crowd, these are the tech adventurers who bought cell phones when they were the size of bricks and spent big bucks to get the early version of the iPod.

If the early adopters are all-in, next comes what is often termed the “early majority.”  This is where most of us fall—the users who are willing to dip their toe in the water, but only after someone else has jumped in to test the temperature.  They may not have been the first ones to try out Uber or buy a Prius, but they are the ones that will collectively take an innovation from underground to mainstream.

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And finally, the “late majority” and the unfortunately named “laggards” get into the mix.  Some are older and others are just set in their ways.  These Luddites are the users who resist until it’s futile, the old schoolers who prefer paper maps to GPS and would rather not have to learn yet one more invention.

This “technology lifecycle” that is well known in the startup and marketing worlds is predictable and repetitive.   New tech products usually take years to become mainstream.

But these are not normal times.

In the midst of a global pandemic, we have had to learn and embrace what is for many a new communication platform almost overnight.   Who would have thought just a few weeks ago a Zoom meeting would become the new default for business communications?

With this rushed mass adoption of video conferencing, as the SNL skit portrayed, social norms, best practices and etiquette are works in progress.  Everyone knows that when the phone rings you answer it by saying “Hello” and that emails should never be typed in ALL CAPS.   And (most) people know that it can be awkward to show up to a meeting at the office in your pajamas.  These unwritten rules are less defined for video conferencing.

Nevertheless, as the weeks of never leaving your house continue, ideas are starting to take hold about which behaviors are deemed acceptable and which are frowned upon.

5 Tips for Proper Zoom Etiquette

        1. Mute yourself when you’re not talking
          Unbeknownst to you, your mic might be picking up your washing machine or a car driving by. Be courteous to the speaker(s) and mute yourself when it’s not your turn.
        2. Pay attention to your background
          Your background can make you look either professional (like a bookshelf or cabinet) or slovenly (like an unmade bed).
        3. Limit distracting noises
          Dogs barking or babies crying in the background are cute and even humanizing, but a pair of teenagers arguing is distracting.
        4. No multitasking
          It’s oh, so tempting, but multitasking during a call is more obvious to viewers than you think. Again, be courteous and give the speaker(s) your undivided attention.
        5. Eat and drink with caution
          Drinking coffee is fine, wolfing down a sandwich is not.
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The technology around video conferencing is nothing new.  But the speed at which it’s replaced phone calls and in-person meetings has been head-spinning.  Until our collective understanding of the etiquette of video conferencing takes shape, we all need to be patient with one another (and never do a video call from the bathroom).

 

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