The thing about calling into meetings is — sorry, were you going to say something? Oh, nevermind, OK.
The thing about conference calls is — oh, good, Steve just joined the call. Late as always.
Ahem. Here’s the thing: Calling into a meeting as a remote employee is a lot harder than one might think.
You have to both be engaged and seem engaged. You have to fight for just. one. second. to jump in and add your two cents without feeling like Godzilla, stomping on other people’s words. You have to somehow catalog every team member’s voice and distinguish one from another. And you have to wrestle with bad connections, sound delays and other technological voodoo that seems to curse every call.
“I always marvel that we have people in space stations and put men on the moon, and yet we’re still so lousy at teleconferences,” says Debra Dinnocenzo, author of “Working From a Distance: Being Your Best When You’re Not With The Rest” and president of VirtualWorks!, a company that helps employees and organizations work well in the virtual workplace.
Thankfully, we have a guide to navigate you through the pain points of calling into meetings as a telecommuter:
1. Pay attention (for real). Being 100 percent present (if not literally) is particularly challenging when working remotely. Twitter, emails and instant messages lurk in nearby tabs, and no one would ever know if you sneaked in a few mid-meeting Facebook scrolls. Just you and your browser’s little secret!
But here’s the thing: While you’re commenting on photos of your cousin’s new dog, your colleagues are commenting on how to solve some team problem. And what happens when they ask for your input? You’ve likely heard the resulting silence heard ’round the conference table from other callers caught off guard, when they wait a beat too long to unmute and say their piece. “That’s a sure sign you’re doing something else, Dinnocenzo says. Here’s how to stay focused on the call — and prove it to your co-workers:
— Stop multitasking. Act as if you were actually there in the conference room, Dinnocenzo says. You wouldn’t be checking email and instant messaging, would you? (Well, obnoxious meeting attendees may do so, but not you!) Bonus: “If you’re actually paying attention to the conversation, you’ll understand the rhythm and how to talk normally,” says Brie Reynolds, career advisor and director of online content at the professional job website FlexJobs, which offers telecommuting opportunities. No more anxiety about talking over people or not talking enough. (More on that later.)
— Take meeting notes. Another tip from Reynolds, who points out that “you’re sort of forcing yourself to pay attention.”
— Speak up. Reynolds adds that she’ll sometimes set goals for herself to, for example, ask two questions during a meeting or praise three people’s comments after they’ve spoken.
2. Be assertive. Not sure if others on the call can hear you? Can’t hear your co-workers? Have no clue if it’s Jim or Dwight who’s talking? Speak up! As Dinnocenzo puts it: “[Remote employees] have the responsibility to assert their own needs.” After all, she says, you can’t follow the conversation if you don’t know who’s talking and — heck — if you can’t hear. “That’s like sitting in the meeting with mufflers on your ears.”
Asking who’s talking, clarifying a statement or gently interjecting to ask whomever is talking to sit closer to the microphone isn’t selfish — it’s necessary for a productive meeting, Dinnocenzo says. To that end, if you call into regular meetings that could be run more smoothly for those calling in, suggest improvements. For example, ask that folks say their names before speaking. “Even though you’re not leading the meeting, you can always share ways to make the meeting more successful,” Dinnocenzo says.
3. Just say it. OK, I’m going to jump in here after Pam — or was that Angela? — wraps up. No, now someone else is saying something! Is my point even relevant anymore? Am I going to have to interrupt someone just to say something that mattered way back when Pam was talking? Better not.
Stop this inner turmoil, and just speak up. “It’s every man or woman for him or herself,” Dinnocenzo says. “You really have to be assertive, and jump in whenever there’s the tiniest little break.”
And if you do speak up, and — ugh, of course! — someone else starts talking a beat after you, follow Reynolds’ advice: “Keep going, finish your thought and then turn it over to them,” she says. “This helps avoid those silences where people are being polite and trying not to talk over each other.”
Or, if someone else starts talking first, wait until he or she finishes, and then chime in by asking if you can add one more thing, Reynolds advises. “[This] helps you jump in without feeling too pushy,” she says.
4. Perfect the technical aspects. Of course, no one will hear your brilliant comment if you can’t figure out how to dial into the call. Triple-check numbers, passwords and meeting times, and test your headphones, if you plan to use them.
If the call requires a certain software or program, test that, too, Reynolds says, preferably with another remote team member. “There’s always an update to download or a program that doesn’t work with one browser like Firefox, but will work with another like Chrome,” she says. “Figure out all those little issues ahead of time so that when the meeting actually arrives, you’re able to log in without issues.”
5. Control your environment. Now to conclude with some Telecommuting 101: Call into meetings from quiet areas free of barking dogs, honking cars or chatting baristas. (And if you can’t, mute yourself — but be ready to unmute pronto, Dinnocenzo says.)
“It’s so easy to distract people in a remote meeting with background noise wherever you are, so close your home office door, or step out of the coffee shop if you can,” Reynolds says. “Your co-workers will thank you for it.”
More from U.S. News
The Secret to Hiring Really Good Telecommuters
10 Ways to Perfect Your Personal Brand
A Remote Worker’s Guide to Conference Calls originally appeared on usnews.com
