Aug23

10 Tips To Keep Your Video Calls Professional

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10 Tips To Keep Your Video Calls Professional

There are still a majority of people working from home. That means a lot of our work meetings, one-on-one coaching, and work catch-ups are done through video conferencing. Some of us may have challenges with maintaining professionalism since not everyone has the benefit of having dedicated work from home workspaces. Inevitable background noises, kids and pets on camera, and messy backdrops are par for the course during video conferences. Everyone understands the struggle and is more forgiving, under the circumstances. However, we must all strive to maintain virtual meeting etiquette in order to make video meetings a fruitful experience for everyone involved. Here are a few tips to ensure that your video calls will go smoothly:

1. Have an agenda

This benefits all participants as:

  • They can prepare for the meeting beforehand
  • They can set expectations of what will be discussed and for how long the meeting will last
  • They can set action items for points related to them on the agenda

2. Find a quiet place

First, let everyone in the household know that you will be on a video call. Let them know that you need this time to be free of noise and distractions. Then, find a quiet place to set up your gear. A private room with a door is best, but if not, a part of the house that is relatively quiet will do.

3. Eliminate distractions

Turn off anything that can make a background noise; fans, phones, a radio, the tv. Shut down the windows to eliminate outside noise. Make sure nobody can walk by and be seen on camera while you are taking a call.

4. Wear a headphone with a mic

Your laptop mic picks up all background noise and may not have the best audio quality. Buy a dedicated headphone with a mic. This will greatly improve your audio.

5. Test your equipment

Test your equipment BEFORE the video call. It would be a shame to not be able to attend just because of technical difficulties, so make sure to check your gear beforehand.

6. Turn off notifications

You won’t be able to concentrate on the meeting if someone keeps pinging your phone or if you are constantly getting alerts from social media. Turning off notifications is an easy way to eliminate one possible distraction.

7. Introduce yourself

It is good manners to let people know that you have joined the call. A simple “Hi everybody, it’s (name) here. Good to see you all!” will do.

8. Use the mute button

When it is not your turn to speak, put yourself on mute. This should be the norm for video calls with more than 3 people. Imagine hearing 10 sources of audio. Wouldn’t that be distracting? Make it easy for others to hear the speaker by putting yourself on mute when you’re not speaking.

9. Address participants by name

To avoid confusion about whom you’re talking to, address the person by name. But don’t talk over someone who is speaking. You can use the raise hand feature in some apps like Zoom.

10. Stick to the schedule

Don’t go over the schedule, follow the agenda and wrap up on time.

What are your video call etiquette tips? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Aug17

Internet Down! Why You Should Be Prepared With A Back-up

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Internet Down! Why You Should Be Prepared With A Back-up

Everyone’s business is dependent on an internet connection at some point in their lifecycle. This makes an internet connection essential in today’s digitally connected world. These days, having a functional and reliable internet connection is essential in business. This is why it is important to have a back-up internet for business in case something goes wrong. Here are some reasons the internet could go down:

  • Bad weather and acts of nature: this could include thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, solar flares, geomagnetic storms, and other acts of nature.
  • Internet Service Provider (ISP) failure: when their systems are down for any reason (maintenance, upgrades, etc.) yours will be too.
  • Equipment failure: Your modems, switches, routers and cables could be causing a system problem. Some can be solved easily, while others need to be addressed by a trained technician.
  • Network congestion: This often happens with legacy infrastructure. Your internet usage could outpace your capacity and could affect your connectivity.

When any of the above-mentioned reasons happen, your business operations could go haywire. That could result in any or all of (but not limited to) these four scenarios:

1. Work interruption

Your staff will be unable to perform their duties and responsibilities at work, resulting in a slow-down in productivity or, in most cases, a complete halt to business operations.

2. Financial loss

A disruption or complete outage could mean missed sales opportunities for the business resulting in financial loss. It could also mean missed reservations, transactions, access to customer/client records, schedules, and events. The longer it goes on, the bigger the loss. Imagine the financial loss if the internet is down for a whole day…or a whole week! The horror!

3. Failure of Customer Service

Great customer service depends on quick responses. When the internet goes out, the business could resort to taking “cash only” payments.

4. Stress

This is the biggest drawback of the loss of internet connectivity. It’s just over-all pain in the neck. It is never convenient.

The solution

Have a good back-up plan for when your main internet connection fails. It is best to scout for a back-up from other internet service providers since getting a back-up from the same ISP would defeat the purpose. More often than not, once service from one ISP is down, it will be down for all products. If you’re on a Fibre optic plan, get a cable internet backup. Another common type of internet backup you could try is 4G LTE. It’s 10 times faster than 3G. Of course, 5G is even faster, but access to it is limited and costly. Diversifying the connection will ensure that you have a workable back-up no matter what. Keep in mind that your primary system should not cost more than your main system, since you will be paying for the backup even though you’re not using it.

Do you have tips on a good internet back-up plan? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Aug9

The Value of Adapting The Hybrid Work Model

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The Value of Adapting The Hybrid Work Model

The pandemic has caused disruptions not only in our personal lives but in the way people work. Because we were forced to go into lockdown, a lot of businesses and organizations had to drastically depart from the traditional work model and adopt a hybrid work arrangement in order to keep operations open.

Hybrid work allows employees the flexibility of working on-site on some days and working from home on other days. Sometimes organizations use the model of having part of the workforce work full-time remote or full-time on-site. Other organizations allow a combination of both working arrangements. 

The value of a hybrid work model working arrangement comes from having the flexibility to adapt. Here are some of the key benefits: 

Health and Safety

This is first on the list for a reason. We can (arguably) say that the hybrid work model was born out of the necessity to keep employees safe and reduce exposure to illness during the Covid-19 pandemic. Employers need to balance their employees health and safety and the ability to keep business afloat.

Productivity

In the traditional full-time work on-site model, most employees clock in from 9am to 5pm, Mondays – Fridays. However, the hybrid work model allows employees to work when they’re most productive as long as they complete the number of hours required and/or are able to submit their deliverables. Note that organizations require team members to be available for inquiries and collaboration, so teams should work out a schedule that coincides with each member’s availability.

Work-life balance

The hybrid work model allows for a better work-life balance as workers have more control over their schedules. The traditional full-time work on-site model locks in most of the day while the hybrid work model allows employees to stop and start work in order to take care of personal errands and duties.

Global talent pool

The beauty of the hybrid work model is that it allows employers to have access to a wider talent pool since they can hire people from around the world. This ensures a competitive edge and round-the-clock productivity for the organization.

Savings

Employers can save on overhead costs since only a few people are working on-site at any given time. With fewer people at the office, the business can save on utilities. They can even reduce their real estate cost by 30% if they engineer their workplace to support organizational priorities.

Up until 2019, the hybrid work model was still seen as an alternative work arrangement or even one of the “perks of the job.” However, the global pandemic changed all that and had us think about ways to reinvent the way we work. There is no doubt that the future of work is hybrid.

Is your organization or business still on the traditional full-time work on-site model or have you adapted a hybrid work model? What are your experiences with hybrid work? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Aug2

How To Deal With Conflicts In The Workplace

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How To Deal With Conflicts In The Workplace

The Oxford Dictionary defines a team as “two or more people working together.” Ideally, your team should work together to achieve a common goal. And then go on to celebrate their wins and support each other’s growth. It would also be a huge bonus if they enjoy spending time together as co-workers… ideally.

In reality, that’s not really the case. The CPP Global Human Capital Report says “85% of employees at all levels report that they deal with conflict to some degree.” Not every team relationship is a harmonious working relationship. However, that is not always a bad thing. Conflict can fuel change and is even necessary for growth. The trick is to know how to manage conflict effectively. Here are examples of 3 common workplace conflicts and what team leaders should do about them:

They have different work styles

Some team members prefer to work quietly. Some may need white noise. Some people need time to think decisions through. Some are spontaneous and like to jump ahead then figure it out along the way. Some are silent in meetings and prefer to share their thoughts one on one, while some often chime in during meetings. Before working in teams, the team leaders should do a strengths assessment and a personality test in order to gauge who to put to work together. This will help team members collaborate easier.

The process isn’t working

Sometimes it’s not a personality clash that’s the culprit. It could be something in the process that isn’t working for your team. Some examples are: unbalanced workloads, system bottlenecks, or not getting the same information. These issues could cause conflict among team members and cause them to blame each other for logistical or procedural problems. Team leaders can address this by using the right tools. For example, set up one repository for managing and tracking projects and for keeping information. It also helps to get regular feedback so that the team leader is aware of roadblocks that have nothing to do with the team members.

They just don’t like each other

Let’s face it, team conflict can be as simple as teammates not liking each other. Team leaders can’t always expect that everyone will be best friends right away when put together on the same project. A team that runs like a well-oiled machine takes time to build. Teammates don’t have to be “a family” but they have to have a close enough relationship in order to resolve conflicts on their own. The team leader should first lead by example. There will be favorites, yes, but be fair and patient. This will set the example for the team to follow. Also, be clear about what you will and won’t tolerate. Don’t let toxic or discriminatory behavior continue, or it might cause teammates to feel attacked. 

Got any tips on how to resolve conflict at the workplace? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp

Jul26

How Having Healthy Boundaries Can Help You Become A Happy Team Player

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How Having Healthy Boundaries Can Help You Become A Happy Team Player

In last week’s article, we ended with a tip about setting boundaries in order to get your most productive work done. We all know how important it is to have healthy boundaries – with yourself and in your relationship with others. Having boundaries is a way to weed out the unimportant and focus on the things that matter to you and that make you feel good.

Just like with personal relationships, work relationships also need healthy boundaries. Otherwise, you might end up resentful, burnt out, or highly unsatisfied at work. Most people have a hard time establishing healthy boundaries because they don’t want to seem like they aren’t a team player or just plain difficult to work with. But we should all remember that having healthy boundaries makes us productive, more willing to help, and easier to collaborate with.

Here are some examples of boundaries that we must set at work to make you happier:

Physical Boundaries
These are boundaries that make you physically comfortable. You must be able to move freely within your own space and at the same time, have the same respect for other people’s spaces. It’s not always a case of physical aggression, instances like not respecting your need to take a break, eat, or get some fresh air are also pushing your boundaries.

Emotional And Intellectual Boundaries
Create a healthy space between your personal and professional life. Watch your reaction to issues that are being aired out by co-workers. You don’t always have to agree on social issues or other things outside of work. Keep your romantic relationships private.

Time Boundaries
We all have struggled with time management. Understand that other people have issues with this too. Learn to say no when you have enough on your plate. You will not have the bandwidth to help or take care of other people’s problems – you are not even required to. If you can’t say no outright for fear of being judged as rude or uncooperative, you should at least say “I don’t have the time or bandwidth for that right now.” You are not required to respond to messages that are beyond your work hours or were sent at unreasonable times. Sure, globalization has us all working in different time zones. Whoever sent you that email at 1 am must be working in a different time zone and would not expect an answer until you get back to the office. Make it clear that you can only be reached outside of work hours in emergencies and that you will respond during the appropriate time.

It is easier to help people understand if you discuss your boundaries ahead of time, like when you join a new team or before heading out on a vacation. There will be instances when your boundaries are crossed. Restate your boundaries and don’t take it personally. People sometimes forget.

What are your work stories about setting boundaries? Got any tips? Share them with us in the comments. Remember to work smart and be a blessing to someone today. Stay safe and healthy!

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp