READ: Overcoming three big challenges with online communications (Webinar learnings)
I invited Kristina Kumor, Education and Outreach Manager at Slido to join me for the 4th in my webinar series and was over the moon when she said yes. Slido are ace, and Kristina is super lovely and mega knowledgable about creating engaging online experiences
For this webinar, we asked attendees to bring the biggest challenges they are facing with creating participative, engaging online experiences with other people.
Over the course of an hour and a half, we uncovered three specific challenges from the group and ran a solutions-based networking format to solve those challenges.
A lot of good suggestions came up in response to the challenges, so here they are for my blog readers - I hope you find them useful.
Challenge1: How do we run workshops/hackdays/ roundtables/discussions online
Use mindjet manager and miro.com for collaboration work online (mind mapping tool).
Find ways to allow everyone to contribute
Using a digital whiteboard, for mind maps
Normalising the room: When breaking out into groups - level of three, C-suite, execs, starters. Make sure you have mix of levels in each group.
Facilitating these events: Ask questions that bring things back to a level that offers simplicity and clarity - eg if language gets technical, ‘play the fool’ to bring it back to language that normalises it.
Find a way to ask a question for clarification - tip: paraphrase, before then asking a question.
Allow everyone to contribute. Find a way to collect anonymous insights as well as question-based ones. You can upvote them based on relevance rather than the loudest person in the meeting.
Collect insights not just in the meeting, but also ahead of the meeting, to structure your hack days in advance.
Try to mimic how you would do things in real life as much as possible online - it doesn't have to be so different
Challenge 2: How do we re-create transformational classroom learning online
Set out some prework. This helps get people into the right mindset ahead of the session rather than joining unprepared. This could be related to the subject matter or unconnected and used as an ice breaker.
Set expectations in advance so they know what is coming and, in the mindset already when they join the session.
Audio and visual- camera switched on, present, make sure is interaction. With no camera, it’s easy to be doing other tasks rather than be present in the meeting. With audio, this will encourage participation. If audio is auto muted it feels more like a closed session where you are being spoken to rather than a collaborative & interactive session.
Complete some polls throughout the sessions - simple as yes/no, or full-blown test to cement learning
Break outs can be set up allocating people into groups with their own room – there may be some considerations in respect of age, experience, etc on whether you also need a facilitator per group.
Having a talking limit – e.g. no longer than 5 mins otherwise your audience can disengage
Make use of collaboration tools, e.g. virtual whiteboard for people to work in groups and contribute
Use quizzes to encourage participation. This could be as part of the session or could be a getting to know each other with prepared questions about the attendees.
Pose, pause and pounce (question, wait, pick a name) – this approach means that all attendees need to think of the answer before they know who the facilitator will ask for a response. Avoid leading with the person then the question as this means that everybody else switches off. A fun visual way to do this is to have a wheel with the attendees' name – ask the question then spin the wheel. The web tool for this is https://wheelofnames.com/
Making sure that information is recapped, brought back to others, linking throughout the presentation as some of the verbal listening cues can be lost in a digital environment.
Wrap up with a question such as ‘What was the one thing you took away that you can implement’ – ask attendees to write it on a post it and put their hand up to the camera to see all the responses. This makes it physical engagement rather than just chat.
Before you present any topic, insert some sort of poll that is thought provoking or controversial to really get peoples opinion - then ask the same question at the end. This can be a good conversation starter and does not need to be directly related to the content.
Further reading: The Power of Moments – Chip & Dan Heath
Adrenaline and dopamine balance (control)
Maintain the balance of the content, your audience and yourself - and place yourself in the centre.
Practice, practice, practice – out loud, with an audience and all the transitions between polls, quizzes, breakout rooms etc.
Talk to the camera – not the screen so that you are making eye contact with your audience.
Consider opening 10 mins early – play some music and allow people to openly chat (as they would in a meeting room)
Challenge 3: How do I present confidently online?
Bring what you have from real life communication and bring it online - talk to them as if you were talking to people online.
Practise in smaller groups, rehearsal
Run smaller less pressured events to get you in the space
Show people around the platform to learn it better - then teach people (a great way to learn)
Rule of two feet - make it explicit what the rules of the space are. Get clear on ground rules etc upfront, avoid shaming, have clear protocols and rules.
Know your audience. Understand and tailor things accordingly. Make adaptations clear to participants in advance so you're relaxed.
Relax as the host and facilitator
Think about the triangle of presenting - do you have a good balance between your content, yourself and the audience?
Feedback - this is so important, You get less online, so you need to solicit it. Collect it as part of the meeting and webinar or do it after. Pitch your level of feedback in line with the amount the participants have committed to the event.
For more information about various courses and events that might help you investigate these subjects more see my Public Speaking and Speaking Up offerings.
Thank you,
Matt