Messengers and Videoconferencing

Messenger Etiquette in the Business Environment

Messengers (Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams) have become an integral part of business communication. They provide speed, informality, and convenience, but also create new challenges: the blurring of boundaries between work and personal time, information overload, and loss of context. Understanding messenger etiquette is a critically important skill for the modern professional.

WhatsApp / Telegram (Personal Messengers in a Business Context)

When appropriate to use:

• Quick operational questions that do not require a formal record
• Coordination of logistics (meeting place, time confirmation)
• Informal communication in small groups
• Urgent messages outside of working hours (only when truly urgent)

Etiquette rules:

• Do not send work messages before 9:00 or after 19:00 unless absolutely necessary
• Do not use voice messages in work chats (they are inconvenient to listen to during meetings and impossible to quickly review)
• Do not create new groups for every question—this fragments information
• Use threading (replying to a specific message) to maintain context
• React to messages (at least with a reaction/emoji) so the sender knows the message has been read

Slack / Microsoft Teams (Corporate Messengers)

Channel Structure:

• Create channels by project, not by discussion topic
• Use naming convention: #project-alpha, #team-marketing, #general
• Close inactive channels so as not to create "noise"

Communication rules:

• Use threads: do not clutter the main channel with lengthy discussions
• @channel and @here: use with caution. @channel notifies everyone (including those on leave), @here—only those who are currently online
• Status: set your status (in a meeting, on leave, in focus)—this helps colleagues know when to expect a response
• Do not split up messages: "Hello" [send] "I have a question" [send] "About the project" [send]—that's three notifications instead of one. Write one complete message

Synchronous vs Asynchronous Communication

One of the key decisions in business communication is the choice between synchronous (real-time) and asynchronous (delayed-time) formats.

Synchronous Communication

Formats: phone call, video call, in-person meeting, live chat
When to use:

• Complex discussions requiring immediate feedback
• Emotionally sensitive topics (conflicts, difficult feedback, dismissals)
• Brainstorming and idea generation
• Urgent decisions
• Building relationships and trust

Asynchronous Communication

Formats: email, messengers (with delayed response), Loom video, documentation
When to use:

• Informing (FYI-messages)
• Documenting decisions
• Working across different time zones
• Tasks that require consideration (no need for an immediate response)
• Detailed feedback (document or code review)

When to Call vs When to Write

Videoconferencing (Zoom / Teams / Google Meet)

Video calls have become the standard for business communication, especially since 2020. But "joining Zoom" and "conducting an effective videoconference" are not the same thing.

Preparing for a Video Call

Technical preparation:

• Check your internet connection (at least 5 Mbps for stable video)
• Test your camera and microphone 5 minutes before the call
• Close unnecessary tabs and applications (they consume bandwidth)
• Prepare a backup plan: phone number for connecting if the video does not work

Visual preparation:

• Background: neutral, clean, with no distracting elements. Virtual background is acceptable, but can look unnatural. Bookshelves are a classic choice
• Lighting: the light should be in front of you, not behind (otherwise you will appear as a silhouette). A ring light is the best investment for remote work
• Camera: at eye level (not lower—otherwise it creates an unpleasant “bottom-up” angle). Use a laptop stand or external webcam
• Clothing: professional (at least from the waist up). Avoid small patterns—they “flicker” on video

Conducting a Video Call

Rules:

• Camera on (by default): lack of video reduces trust and engagement. Exceptions: poor connection, large all-hands meetings
• Microphone on mute when you are not speaking (background noise is distracting)
• Look into the camera not at the screen—this creates "eye contact" with participants
• Say the name before addressing a specific participant
• Use chat for links, data, and comments so as not to interrupt the speaker

Screen Sharing

• Before sharing your screen: close personal email, messengers, unnecessary tabs
• Increase the zoom (Ctrl/Cmd + "+") so content is readable
• Use annotations (pointer, drawing tools) to highlight key points
• Narrate your actions: "Now I'm switching to the analytics tab..."

Engagement Techniques for Video Calls

• Polls: use built-in polls (Zoom Polls, Teams Polls)
• Breakout rooms: for discussions in small groups
• Chat activators: “Write in the chat one word that describes your experience with...”
• Round-robin: take turns asking each participant
• Co-hosting: involve a co-host to manage chat and timing

Zoom Fatigue

Stanford University research (Jeremy Bailenson) has identified four causes of Zoom fatigue:

1. Excessive eye contact: on video calls, everyone is constantly "looking at you"—this is unnatural and exhausting
2. Self-observation: seeing your own image in real time is like constantly looking in the mirror
3. Limited mobility: we are tied to the camera and cannot move freely
4. Cognitive load: interpreting non-verbal cues via video requires more effort than face-to-face

How to fight it:

• Have "no-meeting" days (for example, Wednesday is a no-call day)
• 25-minute meetings instead of 30 (5 minute break)
• 50-minute instead of hour-long meetings
• Allow audio-only for non-critical meetings
• Hide your self-view (Self View — Hide)
• Switch to "speaker" view instead of "gallery" to reduce visual load

Hybrid Meetings

Hybrid meetings (some participants in the office, others remote) are one of the most difficult communication formats.

Problems:

• Remote participants often feel "second-class"—they are not heard, not seen, forgotten
• “Watercooler” discussions (in the office) do not reach remote participants
• Technical quality: sound from the conference room is often poor for remote participants

Solutions:

• "All remote" rule: even office participants connect from their laptops (everyone on their own camera)
• Moderator for remote participants: assign someone to monitor the chat and raise hands on behalf of remote participants
• Equal involvement: start polling with remote participants, so they are not left in the shadow

Recording and Taking Minutes

• Always warn about recording (this is a legal requirement in many jurisdictions)
• Use AI tools for automatic transcription (Otter.ai, Fireflies.ai, Microsoft Copilot)
• Send out minutes of meeting within 24 hours
• Minutes should include: decisions, action items with responsible persons and deadlines, open questions

Practical Assignments

Assignment 1

Question: You are the head of a department with 15 people. The team complains about "meeting overload": on average, each employee has 5-6 hours of video calls per day, leaving no time for "deep work." Develop a new department communication policy that will reduce the number of meetings by 40%.

Solution:

Department Communication Policy — version 2.0

1. Categorization of meetings:

2. Rules:

• "No-Meeting Wednesday": Wednesday is a no-meeting day. Any exceptions require manager approval.
• All meetings are 25 or 50 minutes (not 30 or 60). 5-10 minutes between meetings is a mandatory break.
• Every meeting must have an agenda. No agenda—no meeting.
• Maximum of 5 participants at work meetings (the Bezos "two pizza" rule). More only for all-hands.
• "Could this be an email/Slack message?"—the organizer must ask themselves this before scheduling any meeting.

3. Asynchronous alternatives:

• Daily standup: instead of a 15-minute call, everyone writes in the Slack channel #standup: "Yesterday: [what was done]. Today: [plan]. Blockers: [if any]." Takes 2 minutes instead of 15.
• Project status: Loom video (3-5 minutes) from the project manager, instead of a 30-minute call. Everyone watches at a convenient time.
• Document review: asynchronous comments in Google Docs / Notion rather than discussion at a meeting.

4. Expected result:

• Current load: 5-6 hours of meetings/day = 25-30 hours/week
• Target: 3-3.5 hours/day = 15-18 hours/week (reduction of ~40%)
• Freed time: 10-12 hours/week for deep work

Assignment 2

Question: You are to conduct a hybrid meeting: 5 people in an office meeting room and 4 people connecting remotely from different cities. Topic: quarterly project review (45 minutes). Prepare a conduct plan that will ensure equal involvement of all participants.

Solution:

Preparation (24 hours before the meeting):

1. Send the agenda to all participants with time slots:

   • 0:00-0:05 — Check-in
   • 0:05-0:20 — Q3 Results Review
   • 0:20-0:35 — Discussion of issues and solutions
   • 0:35-0:45 — Next steps and action items

2. Ask each participant to prepare a 2-minute update on their section.

3. Technical preparation:

   • Set up in the meeting room: wide-angle camera (so everyone is visible), conference microphone (Jabra Speak, Poly), large screen for video of remote participants
   • Check sound with a remote participant 10 minutes before the meeting

Conduct:

0:00-0:05 — Check-in: Start with remote participants: "Let's start with those joining remotely. Lena, how are you? Sergey?" This immediately shows that remote are full participants.

0:05-0:20 — Results review:

• Present via screen share (everyone sees the same content)
• After each slide: "Questions from remote participants? Checking the chat..."
• Assign a “chat moderator” in the office—someone who monitors the chat and voices questions from remotes

0:20-0:35 — Discussion:

• Use round-robin: begin with remotes so they speak first (before in-office participants dominate)
• If the discussion switches to a “watercooler” format among in-office participants—interrupt: "Hold on, let's hear from Andrey and Marina who are remote"
• Use a shared document for simultaneous note-taking

0:35-0:45 — Next steps:

• Record action items on the shared screen
• State each AI aloud with the responsible person and deadline
• "Do remote participants have any additions?"—final check
• Minutes of meeting are sent within 2 hours after the meeting