How do you adapt your facilitation style and techniques to different online platforms and tools?

1 Choose the right platform and tools

Before you plan your online session, you need to consider what platform and tools you will use to facilitate the group. Different platforms have different features, limitations, and costs that may affect your facilitation style and techniques. For example, some platforms may allow you to use breakout rooms, polls, chat, whiteboards, or other interactive tools, while others may not. You also need to consider the accessibility, security, and reliability of the platform and tools for your participants. Choose the platform and tools that best suit your objectives, budget, and audience.

3 Set clear expectations and norms

One of the challenges of facilitating large groups online is to create a sense of community and trust among the participants. To do this, you need to set clear expectations and norms for the session. For example, you may want to ask the participants to mute their microphones when not speaking, to use their real names and photos, to respect each other's opinions, and to follow the agenda and time limits. You may also want to establish how the participants can communicate with you and with each other, such as using chat, raising hands, or using emojis. You can share these expectations and norms at the beginning of the session, and remind them throughout.

5 Monitor and adapt to the group dynamics

Finally, as a facilitator, you need to monitor and adapt to the group dynamics during the online session. You need to pay attention to the verbal and non-verbal cues of the participants, such as their tone of voice, facial expressions, body language, or chat messages. You need to check if the participants are following the agenda, understanding the content, asking questions, sharing ideas, or showing signs of boredom, confusion, or conflict. You need to adjust your facilitation style and techniques accordingly, such as changing the pace, tone, or format of the session, asking more or less questions, giving more or less guidance, or addressing any issues or concerns.