
This person can give you the feedback you’ll need to ensure that you’re good to go before the actual meeting starts. Getting on a call with someone you feel comfortable with beforehand can give you an opportunity to play around with the camera angle, microphone volume and the environment you’re seated in. You can find out how you look and sound by simply having a practice round right before the video conference. In other words, your initial discomfort being on camera may be noticeable. If you’re not used to video conferencing, you may end up looking a bit clueless - sitting too close to the camera or practically shouting into the microphone. It may be tricky to anticipate questions, but feeling prepared will surely boost your confidence. With notes to guide you, you can just glance down at them if you lose focus. This is especially important if you’re expected to give a presentation. Why not combat these potential concerns by preparing for a video conference with notes written ahead of time? Before the conference, consider creating an outline of what you’d like to talk about during the session. Often, introverts can get their thoughts and ideas across dazzlingly in an email or a one-on-one conversation, but when called upon to speak to a group, they take an uncomfortably long time to respond or freeze up altogether. This can cause distractions that sometimes derail your train of thought. Being an introvert can also mean having feelings of overstimulation in large groups. Shyness is just a part of the introversion package. Nevertheless, video conferencing etiquette is an important part of today’s workplace and we’ve put together some best practices to help you feel more comfortable on screen. Having your peers look intently at your face on their screen and listen closely to your voice may have you asking yourself anxious questions: Am I having a bad hair day? Do I have something in my teeth? Am I stuttering or mispronouncing words? While not all introverts dislike public speaking, some may find chatting in a video conference stressful. Usually this means being corralled into a board or meeting room, but more often these days, it also involves video conferencing. For most jobs though, occasionally collaborating with the team is unavoidable. Given a choice between going solo or tackling a work project as a group, introverts tend to favor solitude.
