Even though we’re squarely in the pandemic? SHMANDEMIC! phase of COVID-19, video conference calls aren’t going anywhere. They’re here to stay.

Whether you love, tolerate, or loathe video calls, there are a few tips that can make you a video call rockstar. Let’s dive in.

1. Your background matters. Don’t get cute. I’m starting off with my most controversial tip. Virtual backgrounds are bad. And most blurred backgrounds are worse. I understand you don’t want us to see that your kitchen’s messy or that your dog’s asleep, but the blur in Zoom and Teams is offensively bad and distracting. The goal is for your video NOT to distract us, and blur has the opposite of that intended effect.
   
   The “light” blur feature in Chime and Meet (and portrait mode in FaceTime) is a different story. It accentuates you and subtly pushes the background further into the… well, you know.
   
   Fake background images have a similar effect. We don’t think you’re in a boardroom or a palace. The weird visual artifacts are distracting.

2. Don’t do other stuff. Look at us. This is the most important tip. Everyone can see when you’re busily reading something else. We can see your complete and total distraction. It sucks. It’s really hard to stay focused on a video call, especially if you’re not a main player on the call. But it’s incredibly obvious when you’re not really present, even though you’re there.
   
   If you’ve never seen folks totally distracted on a video call, it’s probably because you are also distracted and thus not watching.
   
   To make the others on the call feel like you’re really there, actually be present. Hide other windows. And try to have a reasonable eye-line. I like to drag the window around actively during video calls, putting whomever I’m speaking to, or whoever is doing the talking, smack-dab in the center top of my screen — right under the camera. If that person changes position and their head is now to the side, I’ll move the window again. I want your eyes right under my camera, so that when I look at you, it looks to you like I’m looking at you.
   
   If you’re obsessed with knowing how YOU look, drag your own selfie view under the camera instead. Then you can stare at yourself while you’re talking and listening, and you’ll look actively engaged.

3. Lighting matters. It’s annoying but true. If you’re in shadow, it’s weird. Ring lights are cheap. If you don’t have one, dial up your monitor’s brightness all the way. If you have a weird window casting light on your face from the side, maybe close the blinds.

4. Don’t video shame. If folks aren’t on video, that’s a choice they’re making. You can certainly say something like “No pressure, but if anyone else wants to jump on video, I love that extra human connection.” But don’t ask why people aren’t turning cameras on, don’t beg, and don’t perseverate.

5. You’re on mute. Seriously, we have to get better at this as a society.