4 exercises — handling audio failures, bridging silence, managing connection problems, and sending professional follow-up summaries after remote calls.
0 / 4 completed
1 / 4
Your audio cuts out in the middle of you speaking during a video call. You can see people looking confused. What do you type in the chat?
Option C is the professional response to a technical failure in a remote meeting:
Apologises concisely: "Sorry — audio dropped" — brief; doesn't over-apologise Sets a time expectation: "Back in 30 seconds" — the group knows how long to wait Preserves continuity: Summarises in one line what you were saying — the team doesn't lose the thread while you reconnect
Why C is important: When audio fails mid-sentence, the most disruptive thing is ambiguity — nobody knows if you're still talking (but they can't hear), if you noticed the failure, or when you'll be back. A chat message resolves all three in seconds.
Remote meeting tech-failure phrases: • "Sorry — dropped. [One-line context]. Back in 30." • "Echo on my end — muting and reconnecting." • "Had a freeze — did you get the last 30 seconds?" • "Reconnecting — please continue, I'll catch up."
What not to say: • "brb" — too casual; tells the group nothing about what happened or when you'll return • "I have internet problems" — obvious; doesn't help the meeting move forward
2 / 4
You asked the group a question in a remote meeting and there is 20 seconds of silence. Nobody is responding. What do you say?
Option C handles remote silence with the wait → normalise → named invite technique:
Waits: "I'll give it another moment" — demonstrates patience; doesn't panic at silence Normalises: "it's a tricky question" — removes social pressure; everyone is allowed to not know instantly Gives a named prompt: "Pedro, what's your instinct?" — in remote meetings, a named invite almost always gets a response, because a direct question is much harder to ignore Lowers the bar: "doesn't have to be a final answer" — removes the pressure of needing to give the perfect response
Why remote silence is different from in-person silence: In a physical room, people can see each other hesitating — that visual feedback creates social pressure to speak. On a video call with cameras off (or low-quality video), people can hide behind silence much more easily. Named invites are essential in remote meetings.
Remote silence-breaking phrases: • "I'll give it another few seconds — it's a complex question." • "[Name], you've been thinking about this — what's your take?" • "Let's do a quick round — I'll call on each of you." • Polls/reactions: "Thumbs up if you agree with Option A, thumbs down for Option B."
3 / 4
A colleague's voice keeps breaking up and you're missing key information. Which phrase handles this most professionally?
Option C handles this technically and professionally:
"Sorry to interrupt" — acknowledges you're cutting in; respectful even in a frustrating situation "breaking up on our end" — key phrasing: "on our end" suggests the problem could be your connection, not necessarily theirs; removes blame "We're missing the last 30 seconds" — specific about what was lost, which helps them know where to resume Two options offered: repeat OR drop in chat — gives the speaker flexibility based on what's easier for them
Why "speak louder" is wrong: Audio breaking up is usually a bandwidth or codec issue — speaking louder doesn't fix packet loss. Asking someone to speak louder when they have a connection problem suggests you don't understand the technology.
Remote meeting audio issue phrases: • "[Name], you're breaking up — could you reconnect or drop it in the chat?" • "Audio quality dropped there — we missed [X]. Quick summary in text?" • "I think there might be an echo — could you mute and rejoin?" • "Sorry — we're getting some lag. Could you repeat from [last point]?"
4 / 4
A colleague you needed at a meeting couldn't attend. You want to send them a useful follow-up summary. Which message is best?
Option C is the model follow-up message for a missed meeting:
Acknowledges the absence gracefully: "since you couldn't be there" — no judgment, just context Leads with the decision: The most important information first — the decision and its rationale Includes a clear action item: "review the proposed schema and flag any concerns before Friday EOD" — Irina knows exactly what she needs to do and by when Provides the full notes link: "for full notes: [link]" — she can go deeper if needed without being forced to Opens the door: "Let me know if you have questions" — collaborative, not closed
Structure of a good meeting summary message: 1. One-line context ("you couldn't make it today") 2. The key decision(s) — with brief rationale 3. Any action items for the recipient specifically 4. Link to full notes 5. Offer to answer questions
What not to do: • Just send the link — people who missed the meeting need a summary, not a scavenger hunt • Lead with "you missed a great meeting" — irrelevant and slightly passive-aggressive