Environment and background

Minimize distractions

• Find a room with a door that can be closed to control interruptions and noise
• Silence your other devices, like phone ringers
• Use headphones to listen closely and minimize the noise you add to your environment
• Avoid unnecessary noises like tapping, playing with desk items, or eating
• Warn your family or others nearby if you will be on a conference so they know not to interrupt and limit their noises

Plan the image you will convey

• Look at what is behind you
• A static background is less distracting than a moving one
• A simple or professional-looking background, like a bookshelf or mostly-blank wall may be preferable to a playroom
• Consider what you are wearing for the meeting
• Avoid items that may inflame people's opinions or reactions, like political messages or sports teams (of course, this may be more or less relevant for different audiences)
• Considering using your conferencing tool's feature to blur or replace the background (Zoom/Microsoft Teams)

Camera and microphone

Position yourself well for the camera

• Set up your chair and camera to have your eyes approximately 1/3 of the way down from the top and centered left-to-right and show just your torso and head, possibly with some of your desk (think of a news anchor)
• You should be looking approximately straight into the camera, not significantly from one side or up or down
• Avoid bright lights in view of the camera, as they may interfere with image quality

Talk toward your microphone in a balanced way

• Arrange your equipment to allow talking in a natural voice
• Use a headset, which puts the microphone near your mouth, but not in the way of your breathing

Etiquette

Consider other attendees when participating in meetings

• Mute your microphone unless you are talking and be careful to not talk over others (wait for an opening or "raise your hand" via chat)
  
• If the meeting is choppy, particularly if you are presenting, consider turning off your camera to reduce the bandwidth needed at your location
  
• Assume your camera and microphone are always sharing to avoid accidental bad comments or gestures to the group
• Avoid extended conversations that only involve a subset of the attendees; they may waste others' time and would be better handled separately
  

Technology

Confirm that your device and network meet the system requirements for the service you are using

• Zoom: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362023-System-requirements-for-Windows-macOS-and-Linux
• Microsoft Teams: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/hardware-requirements-for-the-teams-app