Even if you know how to host a meeting, that doesn’t necessarily mean you or those on the video call know how to gracefully exit one at its conclusion. Don’t worry, or feel too self-conscious about this. You are not alone.
Heck, many of us still struggle with how to say goodbye to someone in-person, or over the phone, in a not so weird way. Now, as virtual meetings have become a huge communication tool, we are all having to figure out how to exit those properly as well.
“I think we’re really trying to maximize nonverbal cues when we can, because we’re not always able to be the one to communicate if we’re not the one actively speaking in the meeting,” commented Marissa Shuffler, an Associate Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Clemson University, during an interview with NBC News. “It’s a way to signal, yes, this is definitely over. We all accept the wave as a message that we are leaving, goodbye. Even if you can’t hear me, hopefully you can at least see me.”
While waving at the end of any video conference session is a respectable acknowledgement of a meeting’s end, things can still get awkward.
Have you ever waved at the end of a virtual meeting and then forgotten where your ‘end meeting’ button is? Of course, you have. We all have. Video calls of any nature require you to focus closely on what’s being discussed and what you now need to do with that information.
With all of those details floating around in your brain, it is easy to forget where that button is. Subsequently, you either own the awkwardness or uncomfortably rush to find the button while other participants curiously stare at you.
You can also animatedly slap-down your laptop monitor or toss your mobile device out the window and hope others believe their eyes are playing tricks on them.
Just kidding. Don’t do either of those things. That would be pretty bad meeting etiquette.
There are so many ways to gracefully exit a video call. A controlled, obvious wave after locating the ‘end meeting’ button always works. As does a simple head nod, or a polite verbal farewell.
We wouldn’t recommend rude ending signals like shortening responses to rush a meeting to its completion; pretending to have a phone call come in; or shuffling papers and stationery on your desk to suggest there are more pressing matters worth tending to.
How you exit an online meeting platform as a meeting finishes is almost as important as how you conducted yourself during the meat of a video call. Acting strange as you leave is not what to do in a meeting. Ever. Be cool, be natural, and don’t get flustered.
You got this.
Banty is a safe and easy video conferencing technology service for personal and professional use. Click here to discover which solution works best for you.
In the meantime, here’s a look at our highlighted features:
Custom URL: Each Banty account holder gets to create a unique, custom URL (i.e., Banty.com/MyChat). This is the only link you will ever need to forward to meeting invitees.
Security First: Banty uses end-to-end encryption technology to ensure all conversations on our online meeting platform remain secure and private.
No More Dropped Calls: Manually adjust the quality of your video feed if staff meeting participants are experiencing Internet connectivity issues.
Productivity Tools: Enjoy access to screen share functionality, a digital whiteboard, plus the ability to share YouTube videos with all meeting attendees.
Intuitive Scheduling: In your Banty admin portal, you can easily keep track of all video chat appointments, or grant a support staff member permission to manage the calendar on your behalf.
