In his post Dead Air Dynamics, David Goad talks about the extreme discomfort that DJs feel when it all goes quiet and there’s no banter or music. In their occupation it’s a no-no. He relates this experience to business meetings, including those held online, and notes that dead air is most likely to be encountered at the start of the meeting, when the facilitator/chair is waiting for everyone to turn up.
After I’d read David’s post, I experienced some dead air in a Webex meeting I was participating in. In the build-up to the meeting there was a period of silence which was clearly causing discomfort, so much so that messages started to appear in the text chat along the lines of “Can’t hear anything”, or “Anyone there?”.
In an online meeting the situation is certainly better than on radio (there’s no expectation of continuous audio and there are other channels that can maintain the communication flow) but much worse than in a face-to-face meeting (when you can clearly see what’s going on). Online, there is an expectation for near continuous sound, unless the facilitator notifies you otherwise.
So, don’t leave uncomfortable silences in your online meetings, even before they start, without explaining what’s happening:
- “We’re just waiting for some others to arrive. In the meantime, let’s use the text chat.”
- “I’m going to go quiet for a few moments while I set up this application.”
- “Take a few moments to answer the question. When you’re done, I’ll go through your responses.”
Remember that, when you’re waiting for the session to start, newcomers won’t be aware of your instructions. It pays to welcome all new participants using audio, so at very least they know they’re connected properly.