What are the top virtual meeting and workshop tools for you?

I began using video conferencing regularly in 2012. My two main tips are these: First, always test your system and software before entering a conference or meeting. Depending on the meeting's size or importance, I'll do a dry run with technology the day before. For a smaller session, I log in 5 minutes early to ensure my network, camera, and microphone are ready. Second, and most importantly, the technology is not the meeting. No bells, whistles, plugins, or games will compensate for a poorly planned meeting or unskilled communication. Prepare an agenda, listen respectfully, and ensure everyone has a chance to participate.

I can’t emphasize Julia’s comment enough: technology cannot overcome a poorly planned meeting. My rule of thumb is 50 minutes maximum with no more than 30 minutes of one-way communication. If all participants cannot contribute in the remaining 20 minutes, the meeting is too large. My version of the Amazon pizza rule.

Just as the other collaborators mentioned, it is good to give persons a chance to familiarise themselves with the virtual tools. Choose the virtual tools well as one major drawback is that if the tool is too complicated ( or participants find it intimidating) it may actually decrease participation.

Master Facilitator Sardek Love says that a skilled facilitator trades control for contribution. This idea is true whether you are meeting in person or virtually. When setting up a virtual collaboration space, plan time for attendees to orient themselves with the application. Encourage them to explore and play. Let them know it is as much their space as yours. Validate contributions no matter how large. Make it a safe and rewarding place for people to share and record their ideas.

Engagement tools can be a blessing or a curse. They're a blessing if they enhance your content and provide a compelling reason for people to participate. They're a curse if they distract from the message or pull people out of the flow of content. As adults, we don't need time-wasting games in our meetings; we need to feel involved, heard, and included. The Bob Pike group recommends including engagement activities approximately every 4 minutes. I recommend visiting their website for extensive information on effectively incorporating engagement into your virtual meetings and presentations.

I've found it helpful to incorporate short (very short) multiple-choice quizzes into presentations and webinars. Depending on the flexibility of your Learning Management System (LMS) or Virtual Conferencing Platform, a deep link to the quiz can be provided in chat. These quick knowledge checks will help you see if participants are keeping up with the presentation and can pinpoint weaknesses in your training design. Launching the quiz out of an LMS allows you to collect data from multiple sessions of the same presentation, which is especially helpful if you have a series you deliver regularly to different audiences.

Seamless data flow is the lifeblood of effective virtual collaboration. When evaluating tools, consider how inputs auto-populate downstream activities. E.g. Can a brainstorm feed a prioritization exercise without manual work? The more linkages between activities, the better the facilitator and participant experience. It’s also crucial to examine post-session data usability. Opt for easy analysis formats like CSV over static PDFs. Even better if data flows seamlessly in platform. The goal is actionable data that requires minimal massaging before driving decisions. Participants will gain more value from instantly accessible, understandable data. Be intentional in selecting tools that keep data fluid before, during, and after collaboration.

I cannot emphasize enough that no gadgets or apps will substitute for learning and practicing communication skills. Here are two of my favorite resources: 1. "Fierce Conversations" by Susan Scott 2. LinkedIn Learning's "Leading Virtual Meetings" by Kevin Eikenberry