Conference Call Etiquette
I am taking my Capstone course for my Master of Business Administration. The Capstone entails creating a business plan authored by our group members. Our group only has about 5 weeks to do this project and signs are not looking all that great for a strong finish. So far, our efforts have been filled with miscommunication after miscommunication.
Now, my team and I are required to meet on a weekly basis via WebEx. And if you don’t know, WebEx is a web conferencing software that allows you to connect and do presentations over the web. It’s a great technology and makes our “virtual” group feel more cohesive. Honestly, when you virtual team, there’s nothing like putting a voice to a name or face.
But let me say that, my experience contained what I deem, unacceptable and unprofessional behaviors. Based on this and past experiences I’ve had with conference calls on the phone and on the web, here are list of things that I think are unacceptable anytime you are on a call:
1. Do not overtake or interrupt the host of the call. Let him or her speak, and then you may speak.
2. As the host of the call, please keep to the specified time. WebEx, as well as other web presentation software, allow you to input the duration of the call. If you go over the allotted time, the meeting abruptly ends.
3. Also, for the host, be organized and have, at a minimum, a framework of what you are going to speak to. Otherwise, participants can and will ramble on items that are off-topic.
4. THE MUTE BUTTON IS YOUR FRIEND. It is unprofessional and disrespectful to:
- Yawn into the mic or speaker. Yes, it may be early or late, but not everyone got 2 hours of sleep last night.
- Slurp in someone’s ear. Everyone on the call does not need to hear you drinking your soda, water, or beer. (Yep, my experience includes someone drinking a beer and he announced it was his 3rd one!)
- Along those lines, do not crunch in my ear. Eat before or after the call!
- Have excessive and annoying background noise. This includes putting your guitar away and focusing on the material at hand; not standing next to your squawking cockatiel when going over the week’s agenda; and please, please, please, be a team player and SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONE!! A consistently ringing or beeping cell phone is unbelievably distracting.
- Carry on a side conversation with someone physically next to you while a presenter is speaking. We get it. You’re not paying attention. But, shut up! I’m trying to listen!
5. Do NOT under any circumstances; address anyone in the group as “young lady,” “young man,” “old man,” “old fart,” or any other age-related phrase. It comes across as sexist and derogatory.
Please be mindful and respectful of others on the call. Quite frankly, I think most of these guidelines are simple common sense. This isn’t a long list and therefore, should not be hard to integrate into your next web or phone conference call.
Thoughts?
In my experience there is always a heavy breather….always. Particularly when there are lots of people on the call and its hard to identify who it is. The mute button is indeed a dear friend.
As for sexist and derogatory language…surely that doesn’t just apply to conference calls?
TheHRD
June 4, 2009 at 2:22 am
Ah, yes… the heavy breather. I’ve had issues with this, as well. But fortunately there has always been at least 1 person to call out the offender. It’s when the offender doesn’t think it’s *him* (or her) and s/he doesn’t hit “mute” after requested to do so.
And absolutely not, the language doesn’t not just apply to conference calls! However, the only time I’ve ever, EVER been called “young lady” (aside from my dad) was on a series of conference calls. Go figure!
hrbabe
June 4, 2009 at 7:19 am
Reading this reminded me – yet again – of my (rather less but still occurring) bad habit of interrupting with questions. It’s distracting for people saying something, and the only plea I have in mitigation is that I want to clarify a point before it gets left downstream.
I will try harder!
D
Denis W Barnard
July 26, 2009 at 7:55 am
Absolutely no problems with clarifying a point; however, I usually at least try to find a natural break to interject so that others get their equal time to express their points. And even my point goes downstream a bit, I just preface by saying, “I’d like to go back to the point about ____” and clarify my thoughts then.
hrbabe
July 26, 2009 at 12:08 pm
The last conference call I was on, I told the people in my office whom I was with in the room that were also on the call, that there would be at least ONE member who called in and forgot to hit mute (despite the numerous reminders). This was a statewide conference call with over 90 people involved. Sure enough, while someone was presenting their info via GoTo meeting – you hear laughing and chuckling in the background! How hard is it REALLY to hit one button? Especially when in this particular case, you’re there to listen only, not speak or present?
Jessica
August 6, 2009 at 6:07 pm
@Jessica Some people just don’t get it because they don’t believe it’s them making the noise. And they are genuinely surprised when they discover they are annoying other callers.
hrbabe
August 7, 2009 at 7:15 am