Conference Call Do’s and Don’ts
Choosing to be self-employed for the past 13 years, I don’t get to partake in much corporate-world fun anymore. But I’m fascinated by it - in an anthropologic sort of way.
Recently, I became interested in conference call protocol when my husband began working from home one day a week. (a whole other post topic…) He often participates in calls with up to 50 people. Firsthand I learned that building a fort for the cat and yelling from my office to tell him about it while he’s on a call is verboten. Additional do’s and don’ts he shared with me are below.
DO use your mute button. If you are having a side conversation with a co-worker, it’s not sufficient to hold your headset mic. away from you. People on the call can hear you! And do we really need to remind grown-up telecommuters that call participants can also hear you FLUSHING THE TOILET? (OK, that one really happened.)
DON’T speak too close to your mic. Unless you’re practicing for creepy, heavy-breathing calls later, just “step away” from your microphone.
DON’T use your hold button. This treats all the callers to your workplace’s on-hold music.
DO use your IM function productively. As much fun as it is to do the IM version of the eye-roll, using IM to communicate with co-workers can be efficient. By the end of the call, you might forget an important point you wanted to remind yourself or your team members. Although not as productive, it probably is therapeutic to IM your buddies, “OMG, will he EVER stop talking?!”
Like many other practical business applications, I was curious if this topic is covered in business school. A quick perusal of the Harvard Business School’s MBA elective curriculum tells me it isn’t. Oh well, this handy guide is way cheaper.
This is a guest post by Nancy LaFever. You can read more from her at the Centre for Emotional Wellbeing blog.
Andrew G. Rosen
Reader Comments (18)
Seriously, kids think flatulence is hilarious- especially when mom is on the phone. They have radar and suddenly all get gas when the phone rings.
One thing I've discovered during conference calls.. .it's difficult with no "visual" cues as to when someone plans to begin speaking. We had several moments of silence during last night's call because we all wanted to be polite and wait to see if someone else planned to speak. Then at other times, two people would begin speaking at the same time, simply because we have no idea the other person was gearing up to talk. Any tips to avoid this?
Also, if you're a person expected to do a lot of the talking, it helps to have some notes jotted down. I showed up 6 minutes late to last night's conference call, knew I had something I wanted to share right away, but felt a bit out of sorts. If I had notes jotted down I could have told the story so much more effectively.
On that note, don't hesitate to offer feedback during breaks in the conversation. A one-on-one phone call involves a lot of "Mmm-hmms" and the like. People on conference calls seem to hesitate to provide this filler. So you finish a story and: Silence. (Or maybe my story really sucked?) LOL
My last tip: no one can see you nodding your head on an audio-only conference call. Really.
Okay, I have to admit that when I was working in an office and shared a communal rest room, there was always one woman who chatted while she peed. I, naturally, flushed away merrily just to be a pain. But really. WHO talks on cell phones while on the toilet? Plleeeeeeeeeeease.
Well, maybe there's a reason I'm no longer in the corporate world, ya think? You suggested using your IM function PRODUCTIVELY which most likely includes not getting fired for doing something stupid.
Working at home does have its challenges, even if it's just one day a week. Thanks for the insight.
Another common issue is skype. If the other person has a webcam you get to see their messy piles on their desk, the cat crawling over the keyboard, or if they're multi tasking, they talk to you over their shoulder while they're working. The world has sure changed!
And if you are on a videoconference, near a toilet, and forget to mute the microphone, and use the "facilities," the microphone AND the camera will be activated by the sound.
All in all, I kind of like being able to talk with more than one person at a time or at least actually be talking to the one I think I'm talking to. Undivided attention gets the job done.
Thank you Nancy!
Many work at home mothers don't have another option - especially if the baby needs to nurse. Sure, gentle suckling noises might be slightly distracting but it's better than the alternative--a screaming child.
For someone like me, a work-at-home mother who doesn't use a breastpump, nursing while on a conference call, or any call for that matter, might be the only option.
For the first three months of my daughter's life I did interviews as a freelance writer while my daughter nursed. It was the *best* way to keep her quiet so I could focus on the task at hand, which was speaking with my sources.
I'm curious if anyone else finds these sounds "distracting" -- and, if they are, are they on par with a flushing toilet (or a crying baby) or are they just minor, easily-tuned-out background noises?
Just wanted to apologize if I sounded overly sensitive! Been a rough morning. :D Didn't want to start a fight.
AND forgot to mention I literally L'edOL at your *video* conference comment. :D Oops!
Dawn