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Facilitating workshops, training and various types of meetings is something that I love to do. Many workplaces have had to move to digital spaces due to the current COVID-19 crisis, and are now using video conferencing software like Zoom to keep teams connected and to continue to work productively.
While there are definite advantages to online meetings, like being able to connect a geographically dispersed team, if you don't adjust your facilitation techniques to the digital space, your meeting participants, will be scrolling emails and watching TikToks
Recently I was asked to share my top tips with a group of workshop facilitators, and this is what they were:
1. Lift your energy levels - If you don't do anything else, do this!
Engaging your meeting participants for a sustained period requires additional energy. Just chatting with the screen in a large meeting will have people zoning out and checking their email or doing other things very quickly. My advice is to at least double the energy that you would normally present with so that it makes it through to the other side of the screen.
If you have one, work with your co-facilitator to create energy together – interact, ask questions, laugh at each other’s jokes :D
1. Lift your energy levels - If you don't do anything else, do this!
Engaging your meeting participants for a sustained period requires additional energy. Just chatting with the screen in a large meeting will have people zoning out and checking their email or doing other things very quickly. My advice is to at least double the energy that you would normally present with so that it makes it through to the other side of the screen.
If you have one, work with your co-facilitator to create energy together – interact, ask questions, laugh at each other’s jokes :D
2. Be aware of your body language and in-frame distractions
Look directly at the camera where possible (rather than at a second screen or elsewhere in the room) so that people feel like you are talking directly to them. People have a tendency to forget that they are being viewed by an audience up close and personal on the screen. Be mindful of your body language - stretching, yawning, slumping in your chair, is all captured front and center.
While you might be able to get away with wearing your slippers, anything that is in frame can make or break the engagement of your participants. That goes for your background too - weird painting, school photo of you at 15, your pet guinea pigs - check that there's nothing too distracting in frame.
3. Work with a co-facilitator
For larger groups it is helpful to have a co-facilitator. Assign roles specific roles. For example, one person can host the meeting, and a co facilitator can monitor chat for questions and comments, be the one responding to technical queries and the phone calls letting you know that they can't get their sound working.
4. Use names
The advantage of Zoom and most video conferencing software is that the names of your participants are listed on the screen. Use names to direct questions and elicit comments from the group. Read the room, like you would in person. Do they look like they have a question or want to say something? Ask them.
3. Work with a co-facilitator
For larger groups it is helpful to have a co-facilitator. Assign roles specific roles. For example, one person can host the meeting, and a co facilitator can monitor chat for questions and comments, be the one responding to technical queries and the phone calls letting you know that they can't get their sound working.
4. Use names
The advantage of Zoom and most video conferencing software is that the names of your participants are listed on the screen. Use names to direct questions and elicit comments from the group. Read the room, like you would in person. Do they look like they have a question or want to say something? Ask them.
5. Don't mute yourself
If you are the meeting host, co-host or facilitator, don't mute yourself (unless you're going to sneeze). Facilitators needs to be able to jump in, redirect, add comments and be conversational. Try to create as much natural energy and flow as possible. A moment missed or an awkward 5 seconds while you try to find the button to unmute can undermine that flow.
6. Leverage the software functions and outline protocols
Leverage the functionality of your software - use chat, polls and screen share functions to provide different ways for people to participate. As a host you can mute video and audio of participants. You may need to do these if people haven’t used Zoom before, or there’s too much background noise or other distractions - like the empty chair of the person who signed in earlier but is nowhere to be seen now.
At the beginning of your session, outline any protocols that you are going to use in the meeting, for example post your questions in the chat as we go, just jump in to comment or use the 'raise hand' function if you want to respond.
You can still have really great interactions in an online meeting space, but you do have to adapt to the digital environment. These are some of things that have worked for me.
If you are the meeting host, co-host or facilitator, don't mute yourself (unless you're going to sneeze). Facilitators needs to be able to jump in, redirect, add comments and be conversational. Try to create as much natural energy and flow as possible. A moment missed or an awkward 5 seconds while you try to find the button to unmute can undermine that flow.
6. Leverage the software functions and outline protocols
Leverage the functionality of your software - use chat, polls and screen share functions to provide different ways for people to participate. As a host you can mute video and audio of participants. You may need to do these if people haven’t used Zoom before, or there’s too much background noise or other distractions - like the empty chair of the person who signed in earlier but is nowhere to be seen now.
At the beginning of your session, outline any protocols that you are going to use in the meeting, for example post your questions in the chat as we go, just jump in to comment or use the 'raise hand' function if you want to respond.
You can still have really great interactions in an online meeting space, but you do have to adapt to the digital environment. These are some of things that have worked for me.
What are your top tips for facilitating great online meetings?
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