Zoom etiquette

[zoomfira]

What are your pet peeves when it comes to zoom/teams/google meetings?

I ask because I'm getting so tired of people bulldozing their way through a meeting, not listening, talking over people and generally acting a bit aggressive in their approach.

I feel like giving up with these people, turn my video off and not say anything.

Possibly just suffering from zoom fatigue and being back to back but wouldn't it be nice if people softened up a bit, a little calmer and patient on such video calls? I'm so sick of it. They would never act like that in person I'm sure.

I often sometimes turn my video off. I do have a photo of me so it is still clear who I am. I find it easier not being watched. For an afternoon or evening meeting I have discovered that a mug of wine helps. I guess those watching think it is tea or coffee.

I hate big teams meetings its so distracting looking at peoples homes/rooms and silly backgrounds. They are draining and its so hard to concentrate. Between people switching their cameras off but forgetting to mute their mikes, people looking very dishevelled, people fussing about with cats on screen, people deciding to get up and walk away from the screen in the middle of a meeting, fidgeting too much, people not putting their hand up on teams, chair ignoring people with hand up etc.

Video is mostly turned off at my meetings. I don't understand ppl with lots of video on. Why is it on?

Blokes talking over everyone

I switch the video off whenever possible and allow myself max two interventions.

I think everyone is on edge all the time tbh.

The mug of wine admission will make me wonder what people are drinking

We do video for team meetings as it feels more connected, but I certainly find lags and poor sound make me more likely to talk over people, and probably speak up a bit.

The mug of wine is genius!

It's interesting that the fidgeting and dishevelled Ness is distracting, I suppose we never see so many people front on usually, at least not unless we are the lecturer.

I have found my colleagues are much better at sitting still than me

I don't think i could stomach wine in my morning team meetings but I wish I could. I'm the first to switch my camera off and am quite blunt about telling my team I have zoom fatigue so I'm going off camera so tough titties. Everybody else soon follows.

We have echoing silences in our meetings, because management ask for volunteers a lot, and nobody wants to volunteer!

We have a 'everyone mute' policy apart from the team leader, we use the hands up icon if you need to interrupt / speak. Most people use the Virtual Background option because they're working from home and it adds privacy. I regularly have a G&T at the late afternoon meetings to ignore the (& I'm quoting the Chair of the charity I work for!) Billy Big Bollocks who always tries to mansplain out if the pandemic.

My manager insisting that everyone always have their camera on
I had a four hour training session a few weeks ago and they wanted everyone to keep their camera on. Mine mysteriously "broke"

I find the obsession with video weird. In pre Covid life I did a lot of online calls for account reviews etc nobody ever used video yet suddenly with everyone home working every online call has to be video, I feel rude if the client has theirs on and I don’t but I do find it awkward and try and get to the screen share part asap so I can switch the camera off.

If it’s a meeting I would usually do face to face then I am happy for video to be on but when it is a routine call I just don’t see it as necessary.

Currently 17 weeks pregnant, being able to turn the camera and mic off was super helpful during weeks 6-13 when I spent several team meetings throwing up in a bucket. In our meetings it's always the same three people who do all the talking so my input wasn't missed 😂

Our immediaTe team meeting has consisted of 3 plus a manager during covid as one member has been furloughed. But no one can get word in for this one person myself and another colleague never get a word in.
Gin sounds like the way forward. If a small meeting 2-6 people and 30 mins to an hour etiquette is camera on and to mute mic unless chair or have raised 🖐 and invited to speak but if 6 people or more than an hour it would definitely be camera off for me.
I don’t have an issue with privacy as I have washed hair, a decent top on (with comfy bottoms) and I am sat at my dining table with a neutral wall and part of a picture visible behind me.

There is one woman in my dh’s team that never puts her camera on or speaks except to say goodbye at the end. I find that quite strange. I think she goes off and does her housework or something and then comes back for the last few minutes, says “goodbye” and then hangs up.

I start with a meeting etiquette for each project.

1. Video is on
2. You need to look presentable
3. Learn how to mute, unmute and deal with echo.
4. Work is your priority so ensure you have enough bandwidth, if not, then let me know and I will sort it out with IT (in case they cannot or don’t know what to ask for)
5. Drinks might be okay but NO eating
6. Novelty of having kids and pets and half-naked spouses photobombing is worn off.
7. Most of the platforms have background option. Use it! I am not interested in your home.
8. As the moderator /host I ask everyone and addresses questions by name
9. Surprisingly I have no problem with people trying to talk over each other. You need a good moderator (who knows how to mute someone if it comes to it)

10. Collaboration is paramount. We are in it together.

In principles ☺️

Interesting responses. I wish ppl were more relaxed about the video being off. It's a bit much. I do think that senior managers expect the video to be on. One of the people I work with is dressed up in full office gear wearing her jackets and everything and is always sitting at the edge of her chair about to jump up with energy whilst she talks over ppl. Tedious!

We don’t have VC enabled as there is no bandwidth for it. Government department.

Our CEO has always just talked over people when he’s ready to speak and if the other person continues to speak (since they were speaking first) he just keeps starting the sentence again louder and louder until they give up. It’s so aggressive and he has always done it and I think because he owns the business it’s his god given right.
Recently we had a COO join and he does exactly the same thing. It’s so weird, like just fully aware that they do it but honestly believe what they are saying must be more important that anything you can say.

Now that we are working remotely there are these rare but majestic moments where they do it to each other and it sounds like cars revving and getting louder and louder until one is screaming into the Zoom void and the other gives up.

People being late for zoom calls all the time. People not muting with background noise.
Then “you’re on mute, you’re on mute, Dave YOU’RE ON MUTE” I am guilty of this one all the time though lol always forget to unmute

The things that have annoyed me the most have been;

People who hog the meeting and force the rest of us to just nod and listen. One boring woman did a 45 minute monologue...I wish I was exaggerating. Lots of mansplainers who do similar too. It’s impossible to get a single word in. I end up chatting in the chat box as it seems like the only place to do anything other than sit there and nod.

People who do their ironing/get up boil the kettle, make a cuppa, check out the fridge, empty the bins etc...usually without muting their microphone. Do they not realise we can see them?

People who have someone else sat there off camera listening in that they keep giving sneaky looks or comments to. It’s really paranoia inducing. And it’s pretty easy to lip read .

Overall I’m not keen on Zoom. I tend to find it makes some people show off and go a bit zany like they need to entertain the room and actually that behaviour is often insufferable. I’ve also found that some of my friendships have been a bit damaged through my not attending Zoom events...one friend started hosting paid for Meditation classes and it was very awkward when I said I didn’t want to sign up for the course as I find it hard relaxing on camera! She took it very personally and I find there is a lot of that goes on. There’s an assumption that most people enjoy Zoom/being on camera/having other people be virtually present in their homes and actually that’s just not the case. Plenty of people find it irritating or just plain unnerving but necessary at the moment.

@zoomfira

One of the people I work with is dressed up in full office gear wearing her jackets

For me it is standard business etiquette. Dress code still apply (obv only for the visible part) - comfy slippers vs high heels

@FluffyKittensinabasket

We don’t have VC enabled as there is no bandwidth for it. Government department.

That must have been tough! I heard that most government offices are back, so that might help. (If you had issues with your bandwidth at home)

I hate zoom meetings. My manager sits and picks his beard the entire time and it’s disgusting to watch.

Unfortunately my kids love to make an appearance in all calls, screaming was today's delight! Although they are a useful excuse not to have the camera on!

Don't like the backgrounds as they ghost. Also people who are using their phones and have it right up at their face, seen up too many noses.

What really frustrates me is people insisting on back to back meetings, wouldn't do it in the office so not going to happen at home, we need breaks from screens for a while.