You can only imagine what precipitated this blog post. I won’t name names, but this happens far too often.
This seems basic, doesn’t it? As professional adults, we should know what to do and what not to do. As businesses embrace teleworking and alternatives, conference calls become a way of life. It seems like I’m on a call every day, and I’ve noticed a few patterns that are annoying to the other callers, and even rude.
- Be on time. This means be early. The chiming of callers coming on after the call has started is disruptive and it is disrespectful to everyone on the call. Call in a minute or two early, then get your coffee or whatever you want to do. Our phones are generally portable, so we aren’t tied to our desks as we were 10 years ago. We can walk around and carry our phones with us.
- Mute your phone! I can’t emphasize this enough. Your background noise is distracting to everyone, and it can even escalate beyond a simple distraction to a rude interruption. I’ve heard people snoring, conducting other conversations, and even going to the bathroom. None of us need to hear that.
- Pay attention to what’s going on. There is usually a chat box and you should know what is going on. This will help you avoid asking a redundant question and may also provide important clues on the topic and the culture of the group.
- NEVER interrupt the conference host. I had recently organized a conference call between three people. Five minutes before the call, I got a text from one of the participants that he could not make it because he had another meeting. I told him I was unable to reschedule and perhaps he could speak with this person at a later time. I proceeded with the call, explained my colleague’s absence, then began going through my agenda. About five minutes into the call, my colleague dialed in and interrupted our conversation. He didn’t listen for a break in the conversation; he jumped in and talked over me, seemingly not even taking a breath. When he finished his seven-minute bombast (yes, I timed it!), he said he was done and was going back to his meeting and abruptly hung it. The conversation was thrown off tempo and his behavior was rude and arrogant. I am still dumbfounded that a professional would treat a colleague with such disrespect, though admittedly this was his pattern.
Our global society has made conference calls a necessity. Following these few simple guidelines may help demonstrate your respect for your colleagues and can make these calls go more smoothly.
Dr. Suzanne Minarcine 