July 15, 2021
Working from home and remote meetings are just some of the many challenges professionals faced last year.
Many workers had to navigate the intricacies of remote Zoom meetings on the fly.
And as we’ve all discovered last year, one man’s learning moment is their team mate’s entertainment.
From tech issues, weird background noises, and awkward moments, there’s no shortage of goofy moments in these remote meetings.
Here’s a collection of our favorite remote meeting etiquette fails and funny zoom meeting backgrounds:
1. What happens when you don’t ‘leave the meeting’ properly
All was well with this team meeting, until they said their goodbyes and one team member, Tony, stood up, without ending the meeting.
Whoa and behold, he wasn’t wearing pants.
Watch this video to see how his teammates reacted, and what they did to make him realize the video is still on!
Credits to 987TheBull
2. That time when Alexa and Google also attended your meeting
Many remote meeting etiquette fails are about kids barging in or awkward outfits. Turns out, that’s not all we have to worry about.
So sssshhh… they’re listening! They’re always listening!
I’m in a WFH meeting and my Google Home just answered a question someone on the video call asked, unprompted.
I nearly jumped out of my skin. pic.twitter.com/Z5Bv4coG3u— Ashley Casperite (@missalwayswrite) October 16, 2019
Credits to: Ashley Casperite
3. Kids interrupt dad’s BBC interview – goes viral
Ah, this video was a crowd favorite last 2020.
Prof. Robert Kelly was being interviewed by a BBC reporter when his daughter barges into the room demanding attention.
In fairness to Prof. Kelly, he kept his composure and continued answering the reporter on North Korean scandals.
It didn’t work. A few seconds in, his baby barges in on a walker followed by their mom, who then proceeds to drag the kids away while trying—and failing—to not get caught on the shot.
This remote meeting video interview went viral with more than 86 million views, to the point the family got into several interviews with major news outlets. This time, the kids were included.
Prof. Kelly’s funny experience is a great example of why a locked door is the number one tip in many remote meeting best practices.
Watch “Presenting in a Remote World” by Microsoft MVP Nolan Haims for more tips on how to facilitate better remote meetings and presentations.
Credits to: CBS This Morning
4. When cute and funny Zoom meeting backgrounds fail
Zoom tried to make remote meetings a bit more fun with custom backgrounds, as more users started using the software last year in the wake of the lockdown.
While looking like you’re in a huge mansion or an idyllic beach sounds like a good idea on the surface, not all backgrounds work.
Some funny Zoom meeting backgrounds are cute and fun to use, some are just weird.
Studio Ghibli background:
When you find out that #StudioGhibli released iconic background images for online meetings – but you try and it fails #ZoomFail https://t.co/Pq34WnOQSm pic.twitter.com/BcdoV3oPKX— Dama Sathianathan (@Dama_Yanthy) April 24, 2020
Credits to: Dama Sathianathan
5. When you turn into a donut…
The meeting starts out okay, everyone is even on business casual.
One guy, Barry, starts reporting the numbers – business as usual, right?
Well, now that we’re on remote meetings, we should expect that our teammates can turn into donuts… among other random objects.
Kudos to his team for trying their best to stay on topic and observing remote meeting best practices.
Despite Barry’s numerous avatar changes…
If you think the face changes is the only thing that makes the video funny, stay tuned ‘til the end.
This just goes to show, however experienced you are in your professional life, using new technology always comes with its challenges.
Credits to: St Stephen’s Church Gardenvale
6. My new ‘coworker’ called my boss
When you walk into your WFH office and realize your #newcoworker just video called your boss…
Anyone else dealing with a lot of new “coworkers”?! pic.twitter.com/3RRqlGvjDb— Matt Staneff (@MattStaneff) March 18, 2020
Matt walked into his new home office one morning to find out that his new ‘coworker’ called his boss.
Yikes!
Depending on how early that call was, I imagine it would’ve been a really funny or awkward conversation.
It looks like she came prepared for that meeting though!
So lock your computers, cellphones, and tablets, folks. It might be easier to keep them unlock if your kids also use them. But passcodes and pins are part of remote meeting best practices, too.
All the parents out there can certainly relate to this…
Credits to: Matt Staneff
7. Cat Interrupts UK MP Remote Meeting
We know cats like interrupting our work, but we love them anyway.
Does that apply though if that cat interrupts an important parliamentary meeting??!
What’s funny is the cat doesn’t just saunter into the background or jumps into the MP’s arms.
One moment he’s explaining, and in another there’s a cat wagging his tail right at the center of the shot.
“Rocco, put your tail down!”
Until now, there’s a huge divide on whether cats are banned or welcomed in remote meetings. Remote meeting etiquette says distractions aren’t good, but cats and other pets are good distractions, right?
Credits to: Global News
8. A good example of how to lead a meditation session, while your kids are around
The guide tries her best to explain the benefits of meditation, all while her daughter does funny antics in the background.
Her viewers didn’t miss her not so subtle signals to shoo the child away though.
Credits to: Agile Mind Meditation
9. Remote meetings can bring your class closer, plus a few awkward side effects
They say the real college experience isn’t just in the classroom but in how you get close to your classmates.
While many thought remote meetings and classes took that element of camaraderie away, turns out, it didn’t.
These Zoom meetings brough everyone closer… a lot closer than students originally expected— or wanted.
First class of the day, Professor asks us to unmute our Mic’s to make the classroom setting on zoom more “real”. Now listening to lecture plus 2 people breathing heavily and 1 munching on chips loudly into the mic #COVID19 #Virtual #ZoomUniversity #zoomfail— John Kemper (@jtkemper_) March 30, 2020
Credits to: John Kemper
10. When a special visit by the kids goes wrong
Credits to: CBS New York
One way to pre-empt kids from interrupting remote meetings at home is just to let them in on them…
A good idea, but not always easy to execute.
Lonnie’s weather report starts out okay when he introduces his daughters. Unfortunately, they weren’t just gonna sit in the background after a brief introduction.
Both girls wanted to be in on the whole weather forecast.
Watch this video to see how weatherman Lonnie handled it:
11. “Take me seriously, this is a business meeting”
What do you do when you’re the boss but you’re stuck as a potato in your remote zoom meeting?
Credits to: Damn Cat https://youtu.be/rQ5BkOvzxew
12. Who says you need to be on campus to drop in on the wrong class?
This guy randomly dropped in on the wrong remote meeting classroom on Zoom. Haha!
Who says you need to be on campus to experience the embarrassment of entering the wrong room?
And after the professor tells him to exit, he doesn’t even know how to go.
Oooofff. Awkward…
Nothing worse than showing up to the wrong class…in the wrong country. #ZoomFail #Zoom pic.twitter.com/ZQ3Pv903Ce— Zoom Fails (@ZoomFail) March 25, 2020
Credits to: Zoom Fail
13. A reminder of why you shouldn’t multi-task on remote video meetings
Words can’t even describe the epic, cringe-worthy fail of this remote zoom meeting.
It starts out normal, one presenter is explaining things.
Seems normal, seems legit.
But if you watch the video thumbnails, one team member is particularly not paying attention.
You can literally see everyone cringing!!
Credits to: Rey Santos Cripto
14. Breakup broadcast on remote Zoom video class
Girl gets mad at guy for flirting… breaks up with the guy.
Meanwhile, her classmates are listening in on the background.
Some of them might’ve wanted to avoid the awkward conversation.
The rest might be tuning in, munching in on popcorn as the drama unfolds
Just a reminder, always be on mute.
Rule one of zoom: always be on mute. pic.twitter.com/EOmBcIAJkD— Zoom fails (@ZoomGoneWrong) March 31, 2020
Credits to: Zoom Gone Wrong
15. Ooops, did they see that?
Long time work at home peeps say it’s okay not to wear pants, because nobody will see them anyway on their remote meeting.
Well, it’s not always the case.
Will Reeve, ABC News correspondent, was caught without pants after the camera view zooms out. Watch this short clip to see.
Credits to: Newscast Studio
Adjusting and Learning Remote Meeting Best Practices
You weren’t born with the knowledge to search the web and use Facebook right? Like everything else in your professional and personal life, you’ll learn to adjust.
There are plenty of webinars, courses, and even helpful YouTube videos that teach the technical skills and remote meeting etiquette.
Presenting in a Remote World by Microsoft PowerPoint MVP Nolain Haims, is a great webinar that covers the technical, design, engagement, and physical factors involved in successful remote presentations. Tune in to avoid snafus in your next meeting.
Practice using these software on your own. It only takes a few minutes. If nothing else, avoiding snafus that could land you on funny articles like this one is a good motivator.
