How to Elevate Your Presence in a Virtual Meeting

Make sure you have time before the meeting to pick your location and put your head fully in frame.
In a video conference, your head and the top of your shoulders should dominate the screen. Also, be mindful of your background. Distracting elements will pull attention away from you.

Resist the temptation to check your email or attend to other work, because you don’t want to be caught unprepared if asked a sudden question.
Close those other windows, turn your phone upside down, and remember that you’re on camera.

Be very aware of the power you have over your virtual and physical environments:

• Stay on mute every time you are not speaking and unmute yourself only when you do speak.
• Turn off your camera when you’re doing something visually distracting.
• If you work with your kids and have to sustain a presentation, try to have someone supervise them in another room. Truly important messages require not only your colleagues’ full attention but yours as well.

Use it as an opportunity to emphasize your ideas and prove that you’re fully present. A few examples: 

• When you mention an article or shared document, link to it in the chat.
• If you run the meeting, put a link to the agenda in the chat.