So, you want to run a *remote* meeting that makes folks say, “wow, I feel really connected to this work!”

This is part two in a series about meeting design and facilitation. Part one explored developing your facilitation style and is still applicable (even in a COVID world). Part two is now coming a lot later and looks much different than my original plan, but what else is new these days?

Let’s talk about remote facilitation.

If, like me, it’s not something you had been doing a lot of before, this might not have been the easiest transition. You may feel disconnected or that some of your go-to’s are no longer effective. That feeling is valid. Facilitating a remote session is different, so your meeting design has to change too.

Here are a few ways to step up your remote meeting design & facilitation game:

Do less.

It takes longer to sink into activities when you’re remote. People need time to remember why they are there. They need time to say, ‘No, please, you go.’ ‘Oh no, I’m so sorry — you go.’ Plan less.

I am habitually (overly) optimistic when it comes to time. Now that everything is remote that’s even more true. These days, I design my meeting and then take out 1–2 activities. Then, during the meeting, I often cut or shorten planned activities. The good news is you can always use those ideas in the future. Be crisp about what you want to get out of each activity and then be honest about what your attendees and project need the most.

Set expectations for interaction.

Wherever possible, remind people that they will be participating in an interactive activity. Everyone’s attention is split between a million things at the moment — we cannot assume to have peoples’ full attention unless requested.

Sometimes having someone’s full attention is not possible. Knowing in advance that someone’s time will be split during the session can ensure that you don’t embarrass them or yourself by trying to engage them in a moment when they are not there. If you let people know the session will be interactive, then folks are more likely to tell you in advance if they can not participate fully. Knowledge is power.

Brevity is your friend.

Avoid planning sessions longer than 45 minutes without a break.

Don’t skip the warm up.

In my (humble) opinion, this is where most remote meetings go off the rails — before they even begin. When you skip the warm up, folks often leave the meeting feeling like they were just getting into a good groove.

Help people drop into the time and virtual space together by doing a warm up. A warm up should be quick (less than 10 minutes), engaging, and, if possible, every attendee should get a chance to talk either in small groups or the larger group (depending on your meeting size).

Start with something weird, unexpected, or human. I recently had our design and research team draw each other to kick off our team meeting. We giggled, balked at some of the more abstract drawings, and were very impressed by some hidden talents.

Having folks do something that they would never have expected to do bonds the group, even through virtual barriers, and lightens the mood. It gets people ready to go on whatever journey you have planned for them.

An easy and nicely human warm up is the one word ‘Check In’. Have everyone write on either a virtual sticky note or using old fashioned pen and paper, one word that describes how they’re feeling coming into the meeting. Sharing can help people start feeling connected. It also helps you know what to expect from different people during your time together.

Conversations that might have happened organically in the hallways before need to be created now.

Use a remote collaboration tool.

At ezCater, we use Mural. I have dreams about Mural, I love Mural, I feel all too powerful when I use Mural. But you don’t need a subscription tool to run an interactive and delightful remote meeting. Use what you have.

Google Slides can be repurposed as a collaborative workspace. Copy & paste meeting attendees’ pictures into a slide and have them move their face to different sides of the slide during a ‘Take a Stand’ exercise. Have people physically sketch on their own, then take a picture and add it to a shared slide deck.

The key part is still engaging folks physically and co-creating in a shared space.

Finally, forgive yourself & embrace the unplanned.

Adaptability — now more than ever — can help you keep moving. Even though we’re apart, you can still feel the energy of the group by listening deeply and asking more questions. Let yourself feel uncomfortable. Sink into silences and when you can’t stand it anymore ask a question.

I’ve cut over 2/3rds of a planned meeting recently, because it was just not what the group needed. The first activity was enough and needed more time. Forgive yourself for not anticipating those needs and be proud of yourself for adjusting as you go.

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Thanks for reading part two of this series. I hope it was what you needed it to be.

See you in a bit 👋