Put Your Best Face Forward In Teams Meetings

While some meetings may be returning to in-person formats, virtual meetings aren’t going away anytime soon. Here are some tips for using the camera in Microsoft Teams to connect with your colleagues when you can’t all be together.

Turn on your video camera.

We are fortunate to have the tools that allow us to meet virtually, but we still need eye contact and social interaction. Turn your video camera on during Teams meetings. The visual cues we get from one another help us be better participants. We realize some people may experience bandwidth or performance issues when many participants have their videos up during meetings. At the very least, have your camera on at the beginning of meetings to greet one another, then turn it off if you are having performance issues.

Be mindful of how you "fit" on the screen.

If you sit too close to the camera, it can give others the feeling of having their personal space invaded. Visually, this is much like having someone sitting less than two feet away. For a more comfortable visual distance, position your camera to allow space to be seen on both sides of you.

Blur your background or apply a background image.

If your background could be distracting to others, it’s easy to change by blurring your background or replacing your background with another image. Change your background settings by clicking More actions (…) at the top of the meeting window, selecting Apply Background effects, and choosing Blur or one of the standard Teams background images.

Speaking of background images…

Did you know we have a number of Carilion-branded background images available for you to use during your Teams meetings? Visit the Carilion Clinic Brand Center to download these images; you can also access the Brand Center from the Marketing & Communications hub on Inside Carilion.

To download a background image from the Brand Center:

• Log in to the Brand Center. If this is your first time using the Brand Center, you will need to create a username and password.
• Find a background image to download.
• Click the downward-facing arrow in the upper-right corner of the image.
• Click Submit. You may need to review and click ACCEPT on the Terms of Use to complete the download.

To upload an image to your Teams background settings options:

• Before you join a meeting, select Background filters, which is the option right below your video image.
• Select Add new in the top right of the window under Background settings.
• Navigate to your Downloads folder, select the image, and click Open to upload the image to your backgrounds.

Try Together Mode.

Together Mode places meeting participants on a shared background to make it seem like they are all sitting in the same room (like an auditorium or cafe). Together Mode is available to meeting hosts in the in-call background options.

Attend a Carilion Clinic Toastmasters meeting.

Toastmasters is a group that teaches public speaking skills — including skills for leading and presenting at virtual meetings. The group meets virtually the first and third Wednesday of each month, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. To learn more, visit the Carilion Clinic Toastmasters hub.

Questions?

If you have questions about Teams, contact the Technology Service Center via Edison or by phone at 540-224-1599 (71599).