How to Give Feedback on Virtual Presence

Many of us have a colleague or two (three, four etc.) who consistently show up to virtual meetings with terrible lighting, a distracting zoom background or easy-to-fix tech issues that end up delaying or even uprooting an otherwise effective meeting.

With virtual communication being a serious part of our present, and likely future realities, it behooves us to figure out how to deliver feedback effectively, including feedback on our team’s ability to effectively show up and communicate on video.

Here are a few best practices to keep in mind when giving feedback on virtual presence.

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Set Norms for Video Meetings

  • Set up clear expectations for your team when it comes to video meetings

  • If you are hosting a video meeting, be EXPLICIT about people having their videos on for the duration of the time - and give a reason for it - wanting to foster a deeper sense of how everyone is doing, continuing to build a rapport, you miss seeing everyone’s lovely faces!

  • Provide clear and simple best practices around lighting, framing and backgrounds (reach out to me if you have any questions on VP fundamentals)

By providing your company with a clear framework for success, you also provide a concrete rubric to point to when you feel a mark has been missed. If you don’t set clear expectations, your feedback can come across as unfair or even as a complete shock.

Set the Tone

  • Lead by example. As the meeting leader, you MUST practice virtual presence best practices, otherwise no one else will.

  • Encourage and acknowledge efforts and changes being made by your colleagues around you. If you notice someone has made a positive change to their virtual environment, lighting, set up, say so!

Mirroring as a nonverbal cue does not disappear in virtual settings - people will look to the leader of the meeting to better understand how to behave themselves.

Provide Constructive, Partnered Solutions

  • Feedback often goes wrong when the opportunity to have a two-way conversation gets lost.

  • Avoid judgment and see if you can dig a little deeper to understand the ‘why’ behind the behavior. For example, is there a reason their videos are not on? Perhaps they don’t feel they are in a professional enough environment, or simply are having trouble figuring out their lighting. Maybe they are unaware that their facial expression leads others to believes they are not paying attention.

  • When finding a solution, be a partner. See if they might have some ideas for improvement first and then suggest some of your own. There are a growing number of resources for virtual presence and communication skills building and coaching. (Reach out to learn more about what CFB has to offer in this regard).

  • When possible, provide necessary gear to your team members. For instance, see here for a lighting hack and here for a framing hack.

Giving feedback is hard – there is no easy way around it. With practice and by abiding by these simple rules, you can really elevate the way feedback is administered for your team. It can also help to be open about your desire for feedback, establishing a company culture of improvement and performance enhancement. What a dream!

Rachel Cossar