Big question: To mute or not to mute

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Tiffany Adams is president of Cincinnati Etiquette & Leadership Institute,… more

Reader’s question: How can we make our team’s conference call meetings more productive and less awkward?

Traditional in-person meetings are simply not as practical now as they once were. The “7%/38%/55% Rule” helps partially explain why conference call meetings are often viewed as frustrating. Our communication is said to be contingent upon using 7 percent words, 38 percent voice tone, and 55 percent body language. Without observing the nonverbal cues and animated body language during in-person meetings, these calls may result in awkward silences, two people talking at the same time and an overall lack of engagement. Furthermore, meeting leaders are not trained in conference call protocol, adding to the virtual chaos. Set yourself apart and add important value to your team meetings by trying these three strategies:

• Kill the mute button: I’m a bit of a contrarian on this point. We have been trained like Pavlov’s dogs to instinctively hit mute. The mute button puts everyone at a communication disadvantage by unleashing the freedom to walk around and out of the room, respond to emails, make other calls and “zone out.” In face-to-face meetings, we stay more attentive because others can see us. The mute button robs callers of hearing spontaneous reactions such as a heavy sigh, engaging in lively discussions, and exchanging shared laughter. If you are that worried about others hearing white noise or the dog barking, temporarily mute yourself until you can move to a quiet place but then unmute yourself to be an active participant.
• Stop multitasking: Research reveals that multitasking causes us to do many things poorly at once. Show respect for your colleagues and be mentally present just as you would be in a face-to-face meeting. Why should it be any different for a conference call? Helen Hunt, the talented actress, recently directed the movie “Ride.” Interestingly, she confessed to conducting all of her staff meetings via conference calls while riding her bike for miles and miles. Was this the best way to conduct business?
• Establish ground rules and role expectations: There should always be a leader, a facilitator and engaged participants (central and remote) who clearly understand their roles. Oftentimes, these three roles are not assigned and this oversight leads to confusion. First, a leader’s role is to maintain control and momentum by handling disinterest, distractions and/or monopolizing behavior.Secondly, the facilitator preps the room, sends the invites, distributes “pre-work” assignments, enforces call protocol and documents the accountability of who is to perform next steps. The participants’ roles are to consistently introduce themselves each time they speak, prepare in advance and insightfully contribute.

Conference calls don’t have to be a colossal waste of time. Exhibiting self-awareness and self-restraint coupled with knowing the protocol can lead to highly productive and enjoyable calls. Therefore, smile and dial away…just avoid the bike trails while doing so!

Have a question about business etiquette or international protocol Send it to tiffany@etiquetteplease.com and she’ll answer it here.