What are the skills and tools you need to facilitate effective online meetings and workshops?

I have presented on multiple platforms giving keynote talks and the main thing that has helped me is having a run through before the big event or meeting to make sure everything is set up to go smoothly. Occasionally there will be a new update that needs to occur or other unexpected hiccups that pop up so having that practice run is critical to a successful workshop, meeting or event. When I am recording for my podcast, I prefer to use Zoom because it is something that I am familiar with and I have dedicated time to get to know its' features. Whatever platform you or your organization uses, make sure you put in the time to feel confident in how best to use it.

Often I don't get to pick the platform. It's whatever our company uses or the company that is leading the event. This makes it easy for me. I have to adapt. If it is a new platform or one I haven’t used recently, I do a rehearsal. I usually choose to run Prezi, so I'm not just talking at people with many slides. Based on feedback, I've found it more engaging and natural, as if I was in the room.

You should consider the specific needs and goals of your meeting or workshop, as well as the technical capabilities and preferences of your team members. For example, if you need to collaborate on documents or presentations, a platform with screen-sharing and annotation tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams might be a good choice. If you want to encourage participation and engagement, a platform with interactive features like polls or breakout rooms, such as Mentimeter or Miro, could be more effective.

Having an objective, outline, and desired time window helps keep me on track with a relevant session. Before a session, I'm always getting feedback from someone, usually, the key stakeholders involved. Most importantly, I always build in moments to engage the audience and leave time for Q&A. Pro tip, have a couple of planted questions in case the group is slow to engage with their own.

One approach could be to create a detailed agenda with specific time slots for each agenda item, including breaks and time for questions and discussion. It's also important to consider the format of each agenda item, whether it's a presentation, a group discussion, or an interactive activity. Sharing the agenda in advance and communicating expectations with participants can help ensure everyone is prepared and engaged during the session.

There are many great tools. A method I prefer in many situations is to use a white board and draw out the conversation and key points. This method leaves no doubt that you know the material and inspires confidence in the audience.

I completely agree with this! Research has shown that taking breaks in between virtual meetings can help boost engagement and minimize stress.

Give breaks and lead into the break with engaging content to excuse the audience about coming back. I've found, without a doubt, virtual presentations require more energy from you, the presenter. If you need to stand up or drink a few extra cups of coffee, bring the energy level up, or the virtual session will be flat.

A note of warning here: knowledge sharing can get large quickly. If you let it be a free-for-all, you might soon have hundreds of shares and no way for folks to find what they need. Engage in some curation. Think through a system or process that will work for cataloguing and displaying your company’s learning materials. You might want to consider cross-listing the same piece of learning in these ways: - by function or department, since it’s likely that sales things will be of most interest for folks in sales, etc. - by form, so that all videos or all PDFs, for instance, can be found together - by topic or competency, like communication, coding, time management, or customer service.