Prepping Attendees for Virtual Meetings

2. Prep your Attendees for excellent virtual meetings

Just as you would set the stage for a live meeting or learning event, prep yourself and your group. Your role is to be the host and facilitator. Don’t forget these important components:

• Arrive early – just as you’d arrive at a meeting 5 to 10 minutes early to shmooze, do the same online. Give yourself and the group a few minutes to connect, acclimate, and get accustomed to the technology.
• Create a playful environment for virtual meetings  
  • • Fidgets: encourage attendees to find a fidget toy before you begin so it will help them maintain focus. Or, send them a little something by mail.
    • Punchlines & Groaners: Punch Lines and Groaners is a great way to start the meeting with a show of a few jokes to lighten the mood.
  • Trivia: this ready-to-go PowerPoint presentation has a bunch of slides with trivia. The graphics are slightly retro and a little cheesy, but can still add some fun to an online meeting.
  • Play a song like Come to the Meeting. Find more meeting songs in Laughable Lyrics.
• Explain how they can participate – Zoom has a tool that allows participants to send “applause,” “raise a hand,” or write a comment. No matter what tool you use, make sure facilitators and participants are skilled at using them.
• Use props – have some props at your desk to make it fun.
  • Rubber Chicken – always good for a laugh!
  • Whiteboards – Sure, PowerPoint slides can be engaging, but it would also be fun to write something on a whiteboard and hold it up to the camera.
  • Thumball or UNZIP-it! Conversation Starts – have a bunch of conversation starter questions at the ready. Toss a Thumball to yourself and show the group what the discussion prompt says. Or, pick a card from the UNZIP-it! pocket.  The UNZIP-it! poem is also good for a laugh:

Feeling shy about speaking out?
Or, not sure what to talk about?
It’s easy now to start the flow,
And have discussions bloom and grow.
Unzip the pouch and pick a topic,
Big and broad, or microscopic,
A prompt that doesn’t dig too deep,
Or one that makes you take a leap.
Go ahead, reach in and pick it,
Read the prompt and then UNZIP-it!

• Grab a snack or beverage – encourage the group to grab themselves a little something before you begin.
• Get personal – mention participants’ names, so they know that you know they’re with you.

Additional Resources for Virtual Meetings

ATD – https://www.td.org/virtual-training

Langevin – https://training.langevin.com/fundamentals-of-virtual-classroom-design

Webinars with WOW – Becky Pluth trains people on how to deliver amazing webinars. View YouTube.

Virtual Icebreakers – https://blog.trainerswarehouse.com/virtual-icebreakers

See Also:

CONNECT: Spice-Up Online Meetings STEP 1 – CONNECTION

PARTICIPATE: Spice-Up Online Meetings STEP 3 – PARTICIPATION

ENGAGE: Spice-Up Online Meetings STEP 4 – LEARNING APPS