Here are three of the most common distractions and how to prevent them from sabotaging your online meeting:
Notifications Turn off any apps that could send you notifications. If you use Teams, set your status to Do Not Disturb; if you use Slack, pause notifications.
This is especially important if you’re in HR, finance, or any other department where sensitive information could cross your screen.
Gotcha’s to avoid: if you use more than one messaging app, one doesn’t know you’re busy on the other.
Desktop clutter On Windows, you can right-click in the desktop and choose “Hide desktop icons.” On the Macintosh, it’s a bit more complicated — but there’s always the shortcut of creating a “Desktop cleanup” folder and dragging everything into it.
Your own behavior If you often check your email or “get (other) work done” during a meeting, you are more likely to forget yourself and do this while you are sharing your screen. Try to make a point of giving your full attention to every meeting you are in, and you will reduce the chances of humiliating yourself when it’s your turn presenting! Juicy stories omitted.