Better than Dental Surgery: 10 Ways to Enjoyify Your Online Meetings
Last Friday, I had to get dental surgery. As I readied myself for the process, I became keenly aware of how much I was truly dreading the experience. As much as I tried to visualize a positive experience (recently reminded of the positive benefits of doing so) I couldn’t help but return to the idea of being trapped in that chair for hours, at the whim of the surgeon, poked and prodded by needles and pliers.
As I sat there contemplating this ordeal, it struck me: this is exactly how many people feel about joining online meetings these days - trapped in a chair behind a screen for what feels like forever, subject to the plans of the one in charge, however (dis)interested you may be in the topic.
While some aspects of online meetings will never change, I’d venture to say that it doesn’t have to be this way. During my procedure, the dental assistant changed everything. She considered my needs, laughed at my comments, and left me feeling valued rather than victimized. The same transformation is possible for our online meetings. As facilitators we can enjoyify the meetings that we run. We can plan activities that help people enjoy themselves and feel more engaged in our meetings.
Photo by Rodolfo Quirós on Pexels.
As a facilitator and experiential educator, I've found that people thrive when they feel seen, connected, and productive. How can we design meetings that honor both connection and efficiency?
Here are 10 strategies that work that you might consider:
Lead the call with energy, right from the beginning. This is THE most impactful thing you do, as people will feel your energy in their own body without even realizing it. You might consider doing something right before your meeting that helps YOU feel energized. For me, it works to listen or dance to a song I love, to stand in the sunshine, or to take a quick walk around the block.
Help people engage with body and mind. Think about what matters to them, and integrate questions, topics and activities that will help them show up fully.
Help people connect to self and others. Ask questions that make people think about what matters to them, and give them opportunities to share some of these reflections with others (in the chat, breakout rooms or aloud in the large group)
Create opportunities for authentic smiles or laughter. This depends on you and your group, but consider what makes people laugh or smile? As shared in one insightful Reddit thread, “we laugh from random/unexpected stimuli and this is our way of handling it”. Try leading in a way that brings you joy – when you’re relaxed and referencing things you love, it encourages others to do the same.
Consider various personalities, learning styles, interests when planning your meeting. Some people tend to be more driven, while others might want to spend more time connecting. What can you do to give everyone a bit of what they might enjoy?
Vary your agenda with activities that help different people access different parts of themselves. Sometimes we want to be productive. Sometimes we might feel curious. How can we make it safe and interesting for many aspects of people’s personalities to be in our meetings?
Use the chat to facilitate engagement. I like to call this ‘chatitating’ - using the chat to help facilitate the meeting. Creating a “Chat storm of frustration and gratitude”, for example, or asking a simple open-ended question and inviting people to share in the chat - this helps people bring their full selves to your meeting.
Start the call with an opening activity that helps people to connect to the space, the group and themselves, even if it’s just for 2 minutes. People need a chance to transition from where they were to where they are.
Give everyone a chance to speak at least once during each meeting, even if just briefly during the introduction. This helps people feel like their voice matters. When people feel that, they are more likely to enjoy themselves.
Give very clear guidelines when you are inviting engagement (i.e. 2-3 words, 1 sentence, 30 seconds). Nothing distracts from enjoyment and engagement like frustration and confusion.
People thrive when their needs are met and they can relax. Like that dental assistant, we can transform meetings from something people dread into something they actually enjoy. When we enjoyify our gatherings, everyone wins - even online.
For a downloadable pdf with related ideas, visit our NEW tools page on our Resource Hub: lightersideofclimate.com/tools
