Online Meeting Tips

Agile Intervision started out in 2015 as an in-person facilitation format.

When we use it online, we modify the format very little – but there are some extra complications due to the medium.

Here are some things to consider, from Deborah Preuss, who holds space for community conversation online at coachingcocktails.com :

Facilitation:

• make a plan that works with all platforms.
  Think it through. Test how users will interact using desktops and mobile devices. Will you include audio-only callers? How will they participate?
• team up to deliver a better user experience.
  Having a partner handle tech stuff while you pay attention to people can turn this work from a chore to a pleasure.
• make it feel safe.
  Be clear about confidentiality, intellectual property and recording.
• communicate clearly and simply.
  Plan your facilitation. A vague or too-complex instruction can stall the group.
• subtle cues get lost; things move more slowly online.
  To compensate, pare down your facilitation plan to its essence. Keep verbal and visual cues few and crystal clear.
• timing can be slippery.
  Start on time. Declare timeboxes and use timers. Build in buffers. Know what you can cut. End on time.
• use the simplest tools available to all.
  Don’t replace real postits with online postits if a show-of-hands will do. Another example: brainstorm right in the conferencing chat (don’t forget to save it afterwards).
• don’t just assume it’s working (or fear it’s not working).
  Ask for very brief live feedback, before people leave. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Technology:

• find stable, accessible, intuitive software
  that works for users in different parts of the world, with different networks and hardware. There’s always one person in a remote cabin or airport. I include detailed software recommendations below.
• test in advance of your call.
  The one time you don’t you’re sure to get a surprise.
• provide clear instructions for joining the call
  from the various devices. If a camera or headset or password is mandatory, make this known early. Nothing’s worse than being on time but unable to join due to confusion.
• make it easy to find call info.
  Group emails (use a label or hashtag) to make them easy to find, or pull all communications together in a dashboard somewhere. Ex: Google Docs is free (but limited functionality, and perpetually in Beta).
• know how to mute all user devices,
  and tell people how, so they can manage noise themselves.

Software recommendations:

• audio/video:
  I find Zoom.us conferencing flexible and stable on computer, mobile and telephone platforms, and it offers many local phone numbers worldwide. Joining calls is easy, application crashes are rare, and recovery is fast and resilient. The free account limits you to 40 minute calls – it may be worth paying 15$ or so for a Pro account, compare the featuresets.

• collaboration:
  
  • try the simplest tools first, and make sure usability is good on mobile devices, so those people don’t feel left out. For ex: before seeing new  tools, what does your conferencing platform already offer? Ex: Zoom Pro has chat, polls, groups, whiteboard & screen-sharing.
  • Some things just work better with sticky notes, so everyone can create and move each others’ notes; there are many ways to implement this. Do test before bringing in a new tool, to avoid wasting participants’ time. Make sure it works on all the platforms you allow in your call.

• backchannel:
  an alternate way for a participant to connect with the meeting’s host. We’ve need it, our platform is quite stable, but we continue to believe it’s better to have it just in case.
  • tell people how to privately communicate a message to the conference host (ex: to say “I’ll be back in 5 minutes.”)
  • how can they reach you, in case they get disconnected? You could give out your mobile number, or use another method, like …
  • todaysmeet.com is a simple browser IM that does not require participant registration.

• stay in touch (don’t become a bottleneck):
  
  • if people want to keep in touch between calls, give them a platform-neutral way to do it. Not everyone is willing to join another FaceBook or Slack group, or figure out google groups.
    • freelists.org lets you set up a mailing list easily, with 24 hours advance notice.