When reading Christian Heilmann’s blog this morning, I came across his list of seven sins of meetings with remote participants. It really resonated with me. I am in a remote meeting at least once — if not more than once — every day. I am a huge Zoom user. Whether it is chatting with founders or being on other conference calls, Zoom has become an indispensable tool. And at some point, I have experienced or, I confess, committed these sins:

1. Thou shalt not forget about the agenda or deviate from it.
2. Thou shalt not cancel meetings shortly before they start.
3. Thou shalt not all speak at the same time.
4. Thou shalt not keep your mic on when you are typing.
5. Thou shalt not abandon the chat.
6. Thou shalt not assume people can see your presentation clearly – or at all.
7. Thou shalt not scribble on whiteboards and assume people can follow.

I would add one more, which I consider a cardinal sin: checking and replying to email while on a call and leaving the sound on. Yes, we can hear your Outlook or Apple Mail sounds when the email is sent.

What are your remote meeting productivity tips and hacks? Comments are open and awaiting your replies.