Do this to stay calm on your next WFH video call
Working from home (a.k.a.WFH) and keeping in touch with colleagues over video conferencing tools such as Zoom, have become the new normal for many of us these days.
Have you ever been in an important online interview, meeting or webinar, and needed to put your best foot forward - minus those annoying household interruptions that can potentially derail your credibility and success?
On March 11, 2017, way before WFH was as popular as it is today, Professor Robert Kelly was being interviewed in a live interview from his home-office on the BBC's World News program about the impeachment of South Korean president Park Geun-hye.
Professor Kelly was chatting away, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, both his young children burst into his home-office, gate-crashing the interview.
First it was his adorable 4-year-old bespectacled daughter, Marion, who nonchalantly opened the door and ambled in, making a bee line towards her father. A clearly embarrassed Kelly gently tried to steer her out of the way, as he valiantly continued speaking to the interviewer.
As if that was not enough, a few seconds later, Kelly’s enterprising 9-month old son, wheeled his way into the room on his high-chair.
We were no longer paying any attention to Professor Kelly. Our eyes were glued to the antics of his beautiful children in the background.
The “piece de resistance” was when Kelly’s wife skidded into the room possessed like some kind of maniac, hurriedly scooping up her children and pushing them out the door, and then returning on hands and knees to close the door behind her, so her husband could continue this important interview in peace and quiet.
Professor Kelly smiled and remained completely gracious, professional and calm, simply uttering a brief apology to the interviewer for the disturbance, before continuing on with the interview. I can only imagine that he must have been a raging turmoil despite his unflappable exterior!
This interview went viral, and Kelly became known as BBC Dad.
Now that WFH has become so common, more and more parents can relate to the dilemma of how to be calm, poised and professional on work zoom calls and how to handle the background noise and potential interruptions of their families in the background.
Parents should not have to resort to such extreme techniques as locking themselves in the bathroom so their kids can’t interrupt a videoconferencing meeting or radio/podcast/telephone interview.
Here are some suggestions for all of us, whether you are a parent or not, to prevent interruptions that can derail your next online meeting, webinar or interview.
7 VideoConferencing Etiquette Tips
You should consider doing one or more or all(!) of the following in your next WFH video call:
Ask your family to please not enter the room for the relevant time-period.
Affix a Do Not Disturb Sign on the door.
Close your home-office door.
Consider locking or bolting the door or even inserting a chair against the door, if there is any risk that, one or more of your children or other family members entering the room, despite all of the previous precautions. This tip would have prevented Kelly’s children from barging in and creating mayhem.
If you own a dog, the last thing you want to hear is a dog barking in the background. Ask a family member or friend to walk the dog during the video call!
Turn your phone on silent, or leave it outside the room altogether
Turn off all audible notifications from your computer, e.g. the beep that may sound every time an email arrives in your inbox. Better still, shut your email program down altogether.
By preventing all these possible interruptions, you will take a huge weight off your mind. Leaving you to focus 100% of your energy to the meeting at hand. And presenting yourself at your coolest, calmest and most professional best!
© 2020 Susan Weser. All rights reserved.
