Hate Online Meetings? Un-learn some things and you'll like them.
It is possible to relate to one another even though we are not physically in the same space - there is easy-to-use technology and platforms available in order to do so. Even with the most basic infrastructure it’s possible for online meetings to be lively and productive.
But our pre-conceptions and unproductive meeting practices are in our way to let that happen.
Chances are your online meetings To Date were not so great experiences
You struggled with the technology, people talked over each other, some had their camera on, some didn’t, some participants never said a word, others shared an endless stream of slides in a monologue.
All in all it might have been something dull happening on your screen that didn’t have much connection to you. Maybe you even engaged with your mails or social media streams at the same time?
I can imagine that coming from there, the outlook to have the majority of your meetings online in the near future is not that fantastic!
Don't move your crappy meetings online
If you have to move your meetings online, don't move your crappy current meetings online.
It just gets worse. Use this moment to make your meetings productive and even enjoyable!
Xenia, program director within the volunteer organization Healthcare Businesswomen Association took the leap and transformed a monthly conference call into a virtual meeting. The quality of interaction and engagement was so different!
“Most of the time, I feel disconnected from my colleagues- I am talking into a black box and from time to time I hear a voice, but I am never quite sure how my dialogue partner understands me.”
This time it was different - as you can see from her notes.
She shared with me that the group developed a strategic understanding they had never reached throughout many monthly Tcons.
We exchanged in a written interview afterwards to share our learnings.
I’m extracting the un-learning bits of our interview.
Un-learn broadcasting
Xenia: In our meeting, it was surprising to me that the chat function had to be trained. If you think about it, WhatsApp is a common chat-tool for the majority of us, but participants were not using the chat at the start of our meeting…
Anja: I think what we have to experience and acknowledge first are the advantages of the chat. I like that it is able to create a stream of consciousness of the group one can work with, the longer the meeting goes. We have to un-learn to see it as a sort of side-conversation or as a means to share something while the main show is happening on-screen. (…) The chat is an easy-to use tool to get all the voices into the room – at once.
Yes, I was surprised how simplified you started the meeting and how detailed you covered the topic of the camera-use. The camera gives you a face-to-face impression. We all see selfies and youtube videos being shared. But why is the corporate world stuck in voice-only? (…) what are the main concerns people have using the camera? What are gains if this becomes common practice?
In real life you don’t see yourself talking – unless you’re sitting in front of a mirror. So in order to reduce some of this irritation, I turn off speaker view and put the gallery view on. Like that I don’t see myself full-screen once I say something and I have a better feeling for the group. (…) – we can relate to the setting each of us is in, appreciate differences and get into a richer exchange.
Un-learn control
(…) The participants had to change their style of participation, listen to each other, ask for feedback, get actively engage. I realised, that they didn’t check emails, once they were in close dialogue with a colleague asking for advice. We were coaching, sharing learnings, discussing goals for 2020, supporting each other! What made the difference? Do you think the new ways to interact made the difference or anything else?
We used formats from the Liberating Structures repertoire. These are designed to include and unleash everyone, tapping the collective intelligence, wisdom and creativity of all participants. They distribute control among everyone present and enable them to decide on the steps necessary to proceed. Most of the structures work very well virtually. (…)
At HBA you are looking for ways to introduce virtual meetings into your work. What are you hoping for? What are you struggling with?
We engage volunteers to share their free time. It is important that they get a return. How can we offer room for personal growth? - this is my challenge. With the workshop I offer a format, a platform to the team and we are now ready to fill it with live!
Yes, be warned: This is highly infectional! Once a group experienced this level of engagement it won’t be willing to go back to those crappy meetings anymore ;-)
“Get out of their way-
to get them into play”
UN-learn to be overly helpful
It’s one thing to watch an instructional video about control panels but it’s a totally different thing if you are actually making meaningful use of them. For me, the thing I needed to un-learn was to be overly helpful.
So now I refrain from facilitating a group that embarks exploring online meetings. Instead, I see the time they spend with me as learning experiences.
To start building a group’s virtual meeting skills, I identify a meeting that’s already in place and work with that- like we did with HBA’s regular programming calls.
Ideally, we have a low-key, shorter format before the meeting to get everyone onboard and allow some time between the prep session and the meeting so everyone can integrate the learnings and improve the required setup at their end - e.g. choose an environment with a good internet connection where one can speak freely.
In the meeting, the group experiences the enhanced level of engagement and the boost in collective creativity and productivity together. My ambition is to give them a kick-start into new ways odf relating to one another -even when they are not physically in the same space. Sometimes this can become even more productive than in face-to-face meetings!
Spreading another virus
Be warned: This is highly infectional!
Once a group experienced this level of engagement it won’t go back gto the old way of doing things. Your group won’t be willing to go back to those crappy meetings anymore ;-)