Ever since the pandemic hit, videoconferencing services (Zoom, MSTeams, Adobe Connect, GoToMeeting, etc.) have become the default communications tool. Even though these tools have been around for at least a decade, the rush to work from home has lit a fire on video collaboration. Want to talk to a teammate, customer, or vendor? Let’s Zoom! We are Zooming so much, I was actually caught off-guard when a client called me…on the phone!
Yes, indeed, Zoom is just one tool in your communications toolkit, although, like any “new” technology, there are some growing pains. Remember when you first started using email? (I’m an early adopter – 1990). No one knew what it was nor how to use it. For some, it was an opportunity to send a quick note. Others wrote long missives. Some wrote an email to one person; others copied everyone in the company!
While there were plenty of advantages to using email, there were just as many grievances. So much so, that in 2001, I wrote a book called Email Basics: Practical Tips for Team Communication. Twenty years later, these best practices are ingrained in email etiquette. Email is considered to be one tool in the communications toolkit.
The same thing is happening today with videoconferencing. There are plenty of upsides, yet there are downsides too. It’s important to recognize that we are still in a time of transition in order to communicate with your team effectively. Videoconference wisely, choose your communication tool wisely, and to stay up to date on best Zoom etiquette and trends.
My hope is that it doesn’t take twenty years to settle on some best practices!
For more information about how to lead your team in the virtual environment, use these resources.
KRISTIN ARNOLD, MBA, CPF | Master, CSP is a high-stakes meeting facilitator and professional panel moderator. She’s been facilitating teams of executives and managers in making better decisions and achieving greater results for over 20 years. She is the author of the award-winning book, Boring to Bravo: Proven Presentation Techniques to Engage, Involve and Inspire Audiences to Action.
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Photo by Beci Harmony on Unsplash
