Remote Facilitation Mastery, Part 3 - Technology
Tommi Raitio
Technology Business Leader | Certified Team Coach | Driving Business Growth through Trust, Openness, and Accountability
Introduction
The scope of this article includes the facilitation of team workshops with fewer than 20 participants. The types of workshops I typically facilitate, and that inspired this article, are based on well-established concepts and take anywhere from a couple of hours to a full day. Some more recent concepts, like Pat Lencioni’s “The 6 Types of Working Genius,” have been designed with both on-site and remote delivery in mind, while some with a longer history, like “The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team,” were originally designed for on-site delivery only.
In the above-mentioned concepts, as in many others, most of the value creation is based on the interaction between attendees. Enabling, sparking, and managing this interaction is also the biggest challenge when facilitating remotely. Skills and actions needed to be successful can be categorized into the following buckets:
1 Preparations
2 In-session Facilitation
3 Technology?
I have discussed these three categories in three separate articles. This article is the 3rd and last of the series covering Technology. The 1st part covering preparations was published on April 26th, and the second covering in-session facilitation on May 10th.
The thoughts and ideas presented here are my own and based on my experiences and discussions with fellow facilitators and colleagues. What has worked for me may not work for everyone, but I hope this will at least give some ideas to explore.
Computer
Just use the computer you have as long as it works reliably and can handle the workload of the applications you use. The key is reliability and dependability. The last thing you need are frequent technical glitches and surprises related to accessories, connections and software updates.
Since I switched to Macs 20 years ago, I have mainly used them for work and pleasure. Every few years I have used a Windows PC for a while to see if the annoying things that kept me away have improved, and the result has always been the same: no. It all boils down to predictability, dependability and stability. Macs keep on winning hands down on all three.
I just recently upgraded to the Mac Studio (base model, M2Pro, 32Gb) as my trusty Macbook from 2018 (Intel silicon, 16Gb) was getting weak under the workload, especially when running the Studio Sw (Ecamm Live) and Teams together. I also considered the Mac Mini, but I would have needed a memory upgrade and the purchase of a separate port hub, which would have driven up the cost just as high as the Mac Studio.
Audio
My criteria are:
For everyday calls, I used to use Airpods, and they were the most trouble-free Bluetooth devices I have had. They had decent audio when using only one at a time, and having the other charging, I could go on the whole day. As a bonus, they did not squeeze my ears or make me look like an air-traffic controller or DJ.
A real upgrade in outbound audio quality occurs when you invest in a separate studio microphone. It then becomes a choice between a Direct USB-connected mic or one that uses XLR connection, for which you also need an Audio Interface appliance to connect it to the computer.
A good USB mic, like Blue Yeti, may be all you ever need. But in case you think you may be doing some podcasting or anything that requires more versatility for audio processing, you may consider going for the route of an XLR mic + Audio Interface (example: Shure SM7B mic with Rode Rodecaster Duo audio interface).
A good third option is having a shotgun-type video mic (example Rode VideoMic Pro) connected directly to the camera. This is a great option in case you happen to shoot videos also outside of the studio, as the same mic is useful for video production anywhere.
I prefer the microphone not to be visible in the video frame, and I don’t want to clutter the table in front of me. A microphone boom arm allows that, and I can position the mic in front and above me so that it is close but just outside the video frame.
For outbound audio, my preference is a simple in-ear wired headset that I only use in one ear. Almost invisible and reliable.
Video
Camera
The quality in even the best laptop webcams is not good, and I would only consider them for emergency use. A dedicated webcam (example: Logitech Brio) is a bare minimum, and a real camera (examples: Sony ZV-E10, or Nikon Z30) is what you really want for a professional-looking video.
If you invest 700 euros for Nikon Z30 instead of 150 euros on Logitech Brio you will get:
领英推荐
Points 3 and 4 both contribute to how easy it is for the audience to focus on you.
Teleprompter
In facilitation the eye contact is key. The only way to achieve it is to look at the camera. Perhaps in the near future, AI-powered software will be able to adjust your eyes in live video to re-establish eye contact, but for now, there's no way around it. For an everyday, quick video call with a colleague, not looking at the camera is fine, but for presenting or training clients, it's not. A teleprompter is the only practical way to make eye contact during a video call.
A device like Elgato Prompter is perhaps the simplest solution as it has an integrated display. Slightly more robust and versatile are larger 14-18 inch prompters from brands such as Neewer, Desview or ILOKNZI, all of which require a separate display.
If you already have an iPad or Android pad, you might be tempted to use it as a display for the prompter. This works quite well if you only want to use the prompter to read scripts for videos (e.g. when shooting Youtube videos). I suspect that most people buy the teleprompter for this purpose and that this is the reason why so many devices are designed to use a 9-12 inch pad as a display. However, for presentation purposes, you need to use the prompter as an additional extended display in addition to your main display(s). You want to be able to easily and seamlessly drag application windows from your main display to the prompter display. The only hassle-free solution to achieve this is to connect your Prompter display to your computer via HDMI or USB-C like any other display.
When selecting the display, you must make sure that it has an integrated function for horizontal and vertical mirroring of the image. (Example: Beetronics Monitor 12inch)
Lights
You do not need expensive studio equipment to get started. Sometimes all you need is natural light with additional fill light from a different angle.
The most important thing is that your own face is lit in a balanced and natural way. Strong light from just one direction is rarely enough, so you need at least two light sources. This can be 2 studio lamps or natural light + one studio lamp.
An additional light source in the background that is not too strong usually makes the background look better. Just look at some of the popular youtubers for ideas.
Desk
Many facilitators, myself included, prefer to facilitate while standing. A desk that can be easily adjusted both sitting and standing is very useful. You should also make sure that all important equipment (prompter/camera, microphone, displays) is attached to your desk and can be adjusted with the desk. Otherwise it would simply be too inconvenient to change position.
I bought an electrically adjustable table leg system from Amazon and a separate table top from Ikea and then did the assembly myself. Total price is less than 300 euros and it works great.
Redundancies
There are three scenarios to prepare for
Virtual Camera Software
Using Zoom, Teams or Meet provides most of the things needed for basic facilitation. Zoom is by far the most advanced of these three options.
For more advanced features such as switching between inputs from different computers (or pads) or cameras, animations that are not in slides, graphics or having presenter side by side with graphics etc. you will need virtual camera software. This allows you to integrate all your content (yourself in the camera, slides, graphics, etc.) into a virtual camera feed for Zoom, Teams, Meet, etc.
For PC users, OBS is the most popular choice. Mac users have another option called Ecamm Live. As a Mac user, I prefer Ecamm Live as it is more intuitive to use, at least for me, compared to OBS.
Conclusions
Effective remote facilitation hinges on mastering the delivery setup, leveraging appropriate tools, and fostering genuine participant engagement. By ensuring clarity in audio and video, maintaining reliable technology, and creating a conducive environment, facilitators can significantly enhance the virtual experience.
The emphasis on eye contact, clean backgrounds, and structured interaction mirrors the best practices of in-person facilitation, adapted to the unique demands of the virtual realm. The ideas, thoughts and technology in this article are ones that have worked for me. Some of them may work for you as well, but everyone will have to find a way that works best for them through experimentation.