5 Techniques for Leaving No One Behind in Hybrid Meetings

Hi there,

The rise of remote and hybrid work has also led to the rise of the hybrid meeting - where some are face to face, and some are dialed in. This new world puts fresh modalities and opportunities at the meeting facilitator's disposal.

It also brings fresh pitfalls. Meetings have always been a minefield, and bad ones can be dastardly. With hybrid, the potential for awkwardness and disengagement has never been higher.

Here are 5 techniques to consider using to lead meetings that bring the best out of everyone.

#1 Ask Everyone to be at a Laptop and Activate a Backchannel

Most people who dial in to your hybrid will be at a computer anyway, and may be surreptitiously multitasking if the meeting doesn't have credibility or earn their attention.

Go with the energy of this - ask everyone to be at their laptop, including people in the room, and then establish the expectation that there'll be a chat "backchannel" where people can interact via text throughout the meeting without needing to speak over audio.

When you realise how effective this can be, it's hard to look back. Even asking "hey how's everyone's day going - let's share in the chat!" at the start of the meeting can give everyone a moment of visibility with a minuscule time overhead. The fact is, we can read much quicker than we can talk.

What a great way to start the meeting; everyone expressing themselves, being 'seen', and getting anchored into the meeting rather than into their email!

Leverage the backchannel at points through the meeting, pointing people to the chat with a compulsory question for everyone to respond to, or reviewing comments that have come in over the last few questions.

I know some will report this as being too messy and disruptive. I concede this isn't for every meeting, but if we re-read messy as "participatory" and "energetic" then the disruption of a backchannel may be preferable over an audio-dominated meeting with few active voices and a lot of silent disengagement.

#2 Go Next Level with Mural or Miro Live Whiteboards

If you haven't been in a Miro or Mural board then you don't know what you're missing.

Both load seamlessly in a browser and allow as many people as you like to add post its, drag them around, add annotations and mark up, and even to vote on which ideas resonate.

Participation (or lack thereof) becomes extremely apparent, giving the facilitator the option of calling on the disengaged to contribute (or to follow up after the meeting).?

If you absolutely must use a physical whiteboard in the room, then at least install a whiteboard camera for dial ins, or invest in an interactive touch screen that virtual participants can also interact with.

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#3 Specify the Meeting Type & Protocols in Your Invite

Consider starting your meeting calendar invite with cues such as the below:

• Okay to dial in while walking - meeting will be presentation + some audio channel.
• Okay to dial during commute - meeting will be largely presentation.
• Video off / okay to be walking - this is a verbal rumble on the topic of "X".
• Video on / at laptops please - everyone needed on the backchannel/whiteboard in this high interaction session. Face to face participants pleaser bring your laptops.

The modalities that you set should align with the purpose of your meeting and what you want from your attendees.

Over time people will love your meetings for setting the permissions, purpose, and expectations ahead of time. If working from home, they might even schedule a walk ahead of time. A "video off" meeting format can be especially appreciated for people with a day of back to back calls.

#4 Include Facilitation Techniques to Suit Introverts

The rise of video conferencing has been a boon for introverts, some of whom may prefer:

• Writing over talking
• Waiting to speak rather than interrupting
• Having time to think rather than thinking "out loud"

Using the backchannel at times may appeal to introverts (and others with similar preferences), and you might invite people to add "after the meeting" thoughts for the next few hours after the meeting.

In addition, if you provide an agenda you can identify when you'll be requesting input ("I'll be asking you what you think the pros are cons are in about 15 minutes") - this can be especially appreciated if you intend to have each person talk over audio.

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#5 Include Facilitation Techniques to Suit Extroverts

Some extroverts (and of course some introverts) may prefer to:

• Include social connection time in a meeting
• Interrupt others and be interrupted in turn
• Come to an opinion "live" by talking and hearing others talk

They (and perhaps some of you, dear readers) might be positively turned off by a backchannel especially if they are live in the room and keen to engage verbally.

You might experiment with:

• Starting a meeting with some social verbal chat over the audio
• Using the breakout rooms function in Zoom or Teams - this splits people into small groups on their own separate channel. Have them discuss a topic over audio and nominate a spokesperson to present back.
• Including curated verbal discussion times through the meeting

Let's be nuanced, the aim isn't to please everyone, all the time, the aim is to have a robust repertoire of engagement options that balance the experience of participants with different preferences, locations, and even moods/energy on the day!