Building credibility and making a good impression when working remotely takes a lot of time and energy. Our virtual working is likely to continue for some time to come, so it’s important to make a strong impact in every call. Investing in the right technology and technological setup at home should be as important to you as investing in the right business suit or work bag. How you show up and the care you take with the preparation of meetings will show through. As women leaders, many of you will have already found a way to build your leadership skills and influencing skills online, so the tips below can serve as a reminder. If you are one of the many women who is camera-shy and tends to avoid audio playback, here are some ideas of how you can make the most impact on a 12’ x 9’ laptop screen.
Do:
- Work at a desk if you can and try to have a tidy and unobtrusive background.
- Ensure the lighting is good. Eye contact and facial expressions are important, so try to ensure people can see yours.
- Position the camera at eye level and square onto your face.
- Look at the screen when listening and look into your camera when talking. This gives the impression of good eye contact.
- Invest in a good quality headset and microphone array.
- Get comfortable with online collaboration tools (eg, MURAL. Monday or Miro) that allow your sessions to be more interactive.
- Think about recording your sessions so you can share with those who are not able to join.
- It is also a good idea to get a transcript for some meetings (important events or where you want to understand the dynamics going on). Make sure you get permission to record.
- Use tools like otter.ai that will do a decent job of transcribing your conversations.
- Reflect on whether all points were acknowledged. Was there equal contribution from everyone? Are there some people more dominant than others? This sort of analysis can help you to be more active in your facilitation of future meetings and ensure that there is a more inclusive balance
How to build credibility and impact when working remotely is covered in my upcoming book The Female Edge. For more information click here.