How can you effectively use breakout rooms in virtual team meetings?

1 Choose the right platform and settings

Not all virtual meeting platforms offer the same functionality and options for breakout rooms, so you need to do some research and testing before you decide which one to use. Some factors to consider are: how many breakout rooms you can create, how you can assign participants to them, how you can communicate with them, how you can monitor their progress, and how you can record and share their outputs. You also need to check the technical requirements and compatibility of the platform with your devices and internet connection, and make sure your participants are familiar and comfortable with using it.

2 Define the purpose and outcome of the breakout rooms

Before you create and launch the breakout rooms, you need to have a clear idea of why and how you are using them. What is the goal or objective of the breakout session? What is the expected outcome or deliverable from each group? How will the breakout session contribute to the overall meeting agenda and objectives? How will you measure and evaluate the success of the breakout session? These questions will help you design the breakout session and communicate its purpose and expectations to your participants.

3 Provide clear instructions and guidelines

One of the most common challenges of using breakout rooms is ensuring that all participants understand and follow the instructions and guidelines for the breakout session. You need to provide clear and concise information on: how long the breakout session will last, what each group needs to do and discuss, what tools or resources they can use, how they can ask for help or guidance, how they can report or present their results, and what they need to do when the breakout session ends. You can use slides, documents, chat messages, or audio cues to deliver the instructions and guidelines, and make sure to repeat them and check for understanding before you start the breakout session.

4 Facilitate the transitions and debriefs

Another challenge of using breakout rooms is managing the transitions between the main meeting and the breakout session, and between the breakout session and the debrief or wrap-up. You need to facilitate these transitions smoothly and efficiently, without wasting time or losing momentum. Some tips to do this are: give a countdown or a warning before you end or join a breakout room, use a timer or a clock to keep track of the time, use a signal or a sound to alert participants when they need to switch or return, and use a summary or a recap to connect the main meeting and the breakout session. You also need to facilitate the debrief or wrap-up of the breakout session, by asking each group to share their key insights, learnings, or outputs, and by encouraging feedback, questions, or comments from other participants.

5 Use feedback and follow-up to improve your practice

Finally, you need to use feedback and follow-up to improve your practice of using breakout rooms in virtual team meetings. You can ask your participants to fill out a survey, a form, or a poll to rate and comment on their experience and satisfaction with the breakout session. You can also ask them to suggest ideas or improvements for future breakout sessions. You can use this feedback to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your breakout session design and facilitation, and to make adjustments or changes accordingly. You can also use follow-up to reinforce the outcomes and learnings of the breakout session, by sending a summary, a report, or a recording of the breakout session to your participants, and by linking the breakout session to the next steps or actions of the team project or process.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?