Virtual Meetings! What is the Proper Way to Attend?

It appears virtual meetings will continue to be the norm even though all of us at KMEA would much rather meet with our membership face to face.  As an agency we want to make sure you continue to receive all of the information you need or desire during our meetings no matter how they are presented.  That being said, we have put together this guide for attending virtual meetings that may be helpful for you and your staff moving forward.  This is most important when you attend large meetings, such as a full board meeting.

Meeting Etiquette:

• Turn off all other technology.
  • Other programs that are open and running can interfere with tech quality and performance during the meeting.
  • It’s easy to lose attention and take a quick look at Facebook or email when at a distance. Eliminate the distractions.
• Keep your video on.
  • It’s easier to keep everyone’s attention with live faces on the screen.
  • Video-on helps keep everyone accountable for their attention and decorum.
• Mute your microphone, unmute to talk, and then mute again. During large meetings – All attendees will be muted during presentations. You can unmute yourself at any time you need to speak or use the chat function to be que’d for a question.
  • The audio technology can amplify background noises and even override voices.
• Take turns speaking.
  • The technology can cancel out two or more voices at once.
• State your name each time you speak. “This is ….”
• When something goes wrong, take a breath and let the tech moderator give prompts.
  • Even the best technology sometimes goes wrong.
  • Even the most skilled remote participants make mistakes.
  • Be kind. Next time it might be you.