When we are not face-to-face with each other in real rooms, we can lose people’s attention very easily.
Participants drift away mentally and who knows what happens when the camera is turned off? There are some really simple ways to engage and sustain people’s attention on a topic…
One of my colleagues was preparing to facilitate a corporate event for 200 or so people in a conference room, and she was worried. She wanted to lead them through a physical activity in random pairs, in which the partners would alternate a count to 3. It’s a classic improvisational warm-up activity designed to generate connection…
What’s a good way to finish an online call and ensure that you end with a continued (or increased) sense of engagement, and bring a feeling of completion? This is my adaptation of an activity I learned at a recent gathering of Oxford University alumni. “We’re all familiar with emojis? Yes!”
Turn-taking is a prominent part of a meeting, whether off-line or online. When we used to meet face to face in the same rooms with each other, we all knew whose turn it was. It was always the turn of the next most confident or senior speaker – unless the meeting was facilitated to allow others to step in first..
Why should you include quick warmups at the start of online calls? They help familiarise everyone with the technology. Then it’s less likely that people will feel excluded or marginalised.
Here’s a simple warmup which works well with larger groups..
