Videoconferencing Sucks

In 1994, my first real job was as an inside sales rep for a start-up desktop videoconferencing (DVC) company in Washington, D.C. Previous to that, for my senior term paper at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, I wrote “End User Support for Videoconferencing.” I also worked in the telecommunications department as a student managing the videoconferencing units while I attended university. Based on this, I'm proud to say I have considerable insight, experience, and historical knowledge about why videoconferencing sucks. (Well, back then it really sucked, but it sure seemed cool at the time.) It wasn't that the technology didn't work; it sucked because meeting participants let the technology take over. They thought the technology would somehow magically create an unforgettable experience.

That was then, and this is now. Dare I say, vast and exponential leaps have been made in the technology? People have become more accustomed to its use, and it's even readily available for free via Skype, Yahoo!, AOL, and other online media. In addition, high-definition telepresence videoconferencing has emerged. These provide a high quality of video and audio that have made this way of conducting meetings a power to be reckoned with.

Yes, videoconferencing has its bennies. It eliminates expensive travel time because physical location doesn't matter as long as reliable bandwidth and adequate equipment are available.

Know what's really cool? Ad hoc meetings across continents now happen in a virtual face-to-face format. Non-verbal communication in the form of body language reenters the meeting environment, which can greatly enhance engagement, interactivity, and the overall ability to communicate. Go team.

The Six Degrees of Suckification apply here. And I'll add one more. None of the benefits implies that effective use of this technology can be obtained instantly. Also, you face issues that are specific to this meeting type—from potential complicated technical issues to the type of clothing that works best on the television or computer monitors.

My pet peeve with videoconferencing is that it's too easy for people to talk over one another. Not everyone has a powerful enough computer to run videoconferencing effectively, so potential delays in conversation (communication lags) can add more frustration than productivity. You also deal with the shorter attention spans inherent in using technology, so strict adherence to agenda and increased levels of preparation should be the norm.

If you're new to videoconferencing or concerned about how to act or even what to wear, here are a few SRDs you can apply right away.

Facilitator SRDs

• Keep up energy and interaction levels, which is important because of the increased difficulty of maintaining participants' attention.
• Have an experienced technician on-site when using complicated systems.
• Unless this is a one-way broadcast presentation (i.e., no feedback from the audience), your ability to keep the number of attendees to a minimum will enhance your ability to get things done.
• Realize that due to more one-way communication, possible lags or delays, and the absence of some nonverbal communication, videoconferencing takes more time than a comparable in-person meeting.
• Learn to control the camera and remote control well in advance, if that's your responsibility.
• Get the timing right. A never-ending meeting can be highly costly if you're working in rented space or paying for the equipment by the minute.
• Address people by name every time. While you may be looking at them on the monitor, it may not appear so from their seat.
• If you use a webcam, carefully and intentionally compose the background that participants will see. Avoid bright lights behind you, clean your desk, and look for glare from picture frames or artwork.

Attendee SRDs

• Establish eye contact by looking into the camera instead of looking at the screen.
• Cameras can read lips. Think you're not on? Guess again. In an in-person meeting, you know when someone isn't looking at you. In video mode, you don't.
• Avoid doing something in the background that is highly personal; don't eat or drink while the meeting is in progress.
• Curb your urge to immediately check your phone each time it buzzes with new mail.
• Be prompt so the meeting can start on time. Time is money in every sense of the word.
• Speak in a normal tone of voice. Even though other participants are a long way away, they can still hear you. Don't be annoying by talking louder and slower.
• Don't wear loud clothes. Bright-colored, busy-patterned clothing can affect the video quality on lower-grade systems. Wearing natural or muted colors tends to work best. All-light or all-dark colors can create contrast or white-balance issues and make your skin look weird on camera.
• Brush your teeth. While others can't smell your bad breath through the screen, they can see that spinach piece in your teeth.
• If video-based meetings are the norm for your business, then keep that shirt, sweater, blouse, or tie handy at a minute's notice for impromptu meetings. Don't worry; your boss won't be able to see your shorts and golf shoes.

Oh, and one more thing. While amazing full-room HD systems are available (and incredibly cool and reliable), even the free desktop systems are impressive and simple to use. But remember, it's still a meeting, and unless you want your 15 minutes of fame to bore, all the rules apply.