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Videoconferencing software has made it easier in many ways to hold professional meetings. But employees don’t always know how to behave during these virtual interviews to make a good impression. A British study, recently published in the Academy of Management Journal, provides the keys to impressing your interlocutor during a video call.
The authors of this study were interested in social interactions during online meetings. They focused in particular on how managers can assert their leadership in videoconferences. Because professional interviews are more difficult to conduct remotely than in person. Many factors can indeed harm the concentration and involvement of the participants in the meeting. The person organizing it must lead it masterfully to avoid it becoming a waste of time for everyone.
But you still need to know how to go about it. To find out, researchers from various universities, including Birmingham University in the United Kingdom, conducted an experiment involving around fifty individuals. They were divided into several groups to participate in several professional video conferences. The study of their behavior highlighted the fact that engagement and speaking up are essential elements for being perceived as a leader during a remote meeting.
However, it is not enough to monopolize the discussion to position yourself as a leader—and especially to be recognized as such by your colleagues. The challenge is to give everyone the opportunity to express their ideas and opinions.We have found that speaking on Zoom becomes very important for everyone, because in these virtual environments it is not possible to detect many non-verbal behaviors that would indicate the degree of agreement or understanding of the participants, as is the case in a face-to-face meeting.“, explains Fuhe Jin, co-author of the study, in a press release.
Everything therefore suggests that, during a remote work meeting, leadership mainly involves a good distribution of speaking time. Each person invited must feel free to express themselves, including when they disagree with what is said. This is the best way to arrive at a decision, without creating a feeling of frustration and a drop in motivation among employees.
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