​Today’s Effective Virtual Conversation tip is that “Parking Lots provide a virtual space to leave issues for discussion later”. In any given program or meeting, it is likely that there will be additional items which cannot be covered during the conversation. Capturing these in a parking lot is really beneficial to make sure they don’t get lost. What is critical in any conversation is that the parking lot issues go somewhere and are not lost.
 
What can you do to create a parking lot in your work? What can you do to capture them? What will you do or schedule to make sure they are not lost?
 
With best wishes,
Jennifer

We’ve finally made it to Pitfall #10 of the Effective Virtual Conversations Tip - the Multi-tasking Mindset. This is tip #47 in the series.
 
Here’s what I wrote in Effective Virtual Conversations about pitfall #10 in virtual facilitation:
 
“The multi-tasking mindset can be commonplace for many of us. What can you do to capture people's attention and keep it focused?
Solution: Consider these questions.
·         Are you making a request for people to disconnect from other technologies?
·         Are you changing the pace frequently (i.e. every 5-7 or 10 minutes)?
·         Are you creating opportunities for individuals to pause and engage at their desk?
·         What engagement strategies are you employing?”
As I have shared in other posts, engagement is critical in avoiding the “Death by Conference Call” mindset. We want to be using a variety of approaches – from breakouts where people can connect with each other, to using annotation to get people to share their ideas on the screen. It’s likely that when people are on their own devices, the allure of multi-tasking is going to be great, and if they are in dialogue with each other, they may find that more engaging and focusing.
 
What are the strategies you could use to support greater engagement in your calls.
For more ideas, check out some of the monthly Effective Virtual Conversation calls I’ve hosted since the book launched last July, including the October 2017 call on Breakouts that Sizzle. You can view the playlist here.

​With best wishes,
​Jennifer
​

It's Monday and time for another tip for your next virtual meeting, webinar or virtual conversation. It comes from my latest book, Effective Virtual Conversations.

Today’s quote explores pitfall #6  when technology breaks down. In virtual work it can be useful to consider that technology will likely break down, rather than be stable.

As I wrote in Effective Virtual Conversations,
“Technology glitches are one of the most common tricky issues facilitators can face. Always having a back up – or multiple back ups to guard against this. Check out the services you are using and have a back up. Make sure your connection works from your landline and mobile (and VoIP). Sometimes there can be a difference as to what you can access and where.
Know how to complete quick items like record, mute, unmute, raise hands, chat or work a white board. Practice is usually the only way to master these.”

One of the things that a lot of new virtual facilitators find challenging is working with new skill areas or having to multi-task with new skills in two areas. For example, reading chat and speaking at the same time may not be an easy approach, nor may creating breakout rooms while still speaking.  Sometimes you may just want to provide a short pause to allow people to write something down or take notes about learning or next steps, while you are trying to do two things at once that you may not be familiar with.

Over the last few weeks I've been exploring common pitfalls to watch out for when leading virtual calls - conference calls, webinars or virtual coaching sessions. A more common one is that the recording does not work. I f you aer hosting an ongoing group which has group members absent who are relying on the recording, this can be a big deal. Having a reminder or checklist to go through to make sure the recording is on when you start is one approach, as is having a back up on a different system, for example, recording to One Note on a computer if the recording feature you do have, does not work. I am saying here "on a different system" because sometimes  the recording on the same system may not work. Be sure to test it in whatever set up you have.

Here's what I wrote about this pitfall in Effective Virtual Conversations:
Sometimes group members will not be able to attend calls and will want to catch up by listening to a recording. Sometimes this does not work.

Solution: Make a habit of checking and knowing that your recording is working. If you run a similar program over time it can be useful to have a recording for classes recorded each time.  If the system's recording facility does not work, what can you put in place. My usual back up is often going to One-Note, which can usually record the audio component of my call. I always have a spare laptop on hand to do this so that it is not recording from the system.

Enjoy the start to your week,
Jennifer

This week we make our way to the 4th pitfall which virtual facilitators of all kinds may face in their conversations. It can be common that one person can't get on the platform you are using. This may be more common for one-off programs, or when you have a global group, where different platforms may be accessible or not.

In pitfall #4, there are a number of different strategies we can take. Here's what I write in Effective Virtual Conversations:

"Virtual events can be intimidating ..... Spend time with your team/event participants in advance setting them up for success.

Solutions: Give participants the opportunity to log on and test the systems prior to the event. Be specific on what time you want everyone on the line. For example, if a call starts at 9 am, having them on the line at 8:45.
It can also be useful to develop a troubleshooting guide people can refer to (i.e. if this happens, try this...) or provide a video tutorial for common blips.
It is important to keep the program moving so always have a back up person who can help that person rather than leaving them to figure it out for themselves.
Finally, figure out if there is an alternative way for people to join. For example, they are having problems with their broadband. Can they call in instead? What supports would they need in advance to benefit from this?"

One of the things I make as a regular practice when I am facilitating solo and do not have a producer or other program support back up, is to host a pre-call as part of the program, on the platform we are using. In addition to ensuring that everyone can access the platform and knows how to, this can be a valuable pre-program activity helping you see the connection between different person's goals and focus areas.

What do you want to put in place to ensure that everyone can access the call?

A few weeks ago I started the 10 Common Pitfalls in Virtual Facilitation series, exploring on a weekly basis different pitfalls that we can face when we are leading a virtual call - webinars, conference calls, or virtual coaching sessions. To newer facilitators these often represent the barrier to moving their conversations to the virtual space.

Take a look at our first two Pitfalls here.
Pitfall #1 - Read it here in Teams365 #1553
Pitfall #2: You can't upload your presentation - Read it here.

This week's pitfall, pitfall #3, gets you thinking about what happens if the group can't hear you. As I write:

"Solution:  Occasionally this crops up. You may need just to log in again. Some platforms allow you to do an audio test prior to the session, so you are confident you can be heard. If only one or two participants can't hear you, then it is likely their connection and not yours. Before you log off to reconnect (which may disrupt the system), check on how many people can't hear you."

There are a few other things that may be going on as well:
Your mike is muted
Your system volume is lower than it should be
There is a lot of background noise - consider wearing a headset or investing in a specialized mike OR making sure your calls are hosted in a place where you can close the door an minimize any ambient noise.

What is going to give your call sound the best quality? Have you done a test to see how you sound? It's easy to do and well worth taking a few minutes to check out before you host a call.

I cover these pitfalls in greater depth throughout Effective Virtual Conversations. If you haven't picked up a copy yet you will want to consider adding it to your bookshelf. Typical of my writing, it's a robust, practically written reference guide to creating more engaging, and interactive virtual events. Conference calls and video streaming doesn't have to be boring! Pick up a copy at Amazon here.

Given my own background as a virtual team leader I have always been hungry for more resources regarding what will help teams excel in the virtual space. A 2016 study by Culture Wizard found that only 22% of virtual teams had engaged in development of their team. How much focus do virtual and remote teams at your organization get in terms of their development? Sadly, I think "out of sight" does translate to "out of mind" for many organizations when it comes to the virtual and remote workforce.

​As I wrote on page 354 of my book, Effective Virtual Conversations:
​"“There are several factors that can make virtual team development challenging. It is not only the time zone differences, but different priorities, the perceived lack of connection, feelings, and that team members don’t understand your reality or the lack of every day cues.”

​How are these factors playing into team identity and culture?
​What can you be doing to help team members understand the different priorities they bring?
​What can you do to boost connection?

​Some recent posts you will want to check out is the 20 Activities for Your Virtual and Remote Team Series, along with focusing on spending intentional time identifying elements of your team culture.

More on this to come this month!

Best wishes,
​Jennifer

We are at the 34th tip in the Effective Virtual Conversations tips. Today's tip explores three more assumptions we all may be holding about virtual conversations. If you missed the first of the series last week, check out those additional assumptions here in Teams365 Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #33.


Let's take a look at this next series of virtual learning assumptions:

​1. They are not going to be tempted to multi-task. Rather than not assume that this is happening, consider how this will be likely. What are the ways you are going to engage the group so that that becomes more important that emails that need to get cleared out of the in-box?
Different strategies you will want to explore are:
​Using annotation - have people mark up the screen and annotate
​Using polls - many virtual settings allow you to use polls
​Using breakouts - split the group into smaller groups (think 2 - 4) and have them move to breakout and share their ideas/visions/goals around the topics you are using. Key to making these work is to provide a question for people to be in dialogue around, providing enough time for them to have the conversation, and providing clear instructions around time and what they should come back with.

​2. It has to be boring! Get creative while ensuring safety in your work, There are many hands on activities people can do during the calls, including working on things real-time. One group I was working with last month created their own videos during our time together, fusing together some of the learning we had been working on.
​Make a list of 5 things you can do to jazz things up.

​3. You can't learn or connect without face-to-face connection - With today's multiple options for connection there are a wide variety of ways we can be building relationships with groups. From getting people to work in paired partners between formal calls, to having people stream where feasible, relationships and connection across virtual groups and teams can be as powerful as those in-person.
​It takes intentional focus, and creating safety, and shared expectations to ensure that group members feel that they can bring their best self to calls.

​I have got a couple more Assumptions coming for next week's Monday blog post, so please stay tuned!

​Enjoy the start of your week,
​Jennifer

There are a number of assumptions which we make when stepping into the virtual realm to lead conversations. In general, assumptions lay beneath the waterline, and while they can’t be seen they can be dangerous and/or influence our results.

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversation tip, along with next week’s EVC tip focuses on some of the more commonly held assumptions about virtual conversations including webinars, virtual coaching and/or virtual meetings. Consider if these are any of the assumptions you’ve made and/or what your beliefs are:
·         It’s just like working in person.
·         It’s going to be easy.
·         Everyone is going to have the same needs.
·         Everyone understands what I am saying.
·         They will follow up. 

Let’s take a look at each one of these in turn:

It’s just like working in person: While streaming technology has made the virtual space much more like the in person context, there are still many differences when leading virtual sessions including:
-          Lack of visual cues
-          Things taking more time
-          The threat of multi-tasking on the part of participants
It’s going to be easy – This is a big assumption which can get us into trouble. It’s often said that virtual calls require more planning than in person. “winging it”  is not usually an option. Key items to make the conversation “easy” for all is to:
Co-create the agenda/focus or Create a Shared Agenda. This could involve firming up the focus of the call before you get on the line. As you start off you’ll want to check in by asking each person to input around the questions “what do you want to get out of the conversation today” This works well for smaller sized calls but may be more challenging for larger calls.

Everyone is going to have the same needs: Just as in the in-person context, groups and teams we work with will usually be diverse – with different preferences around communication, engagement and approaches. Whether it’s generational, cultural or due to styles, working first from the  mindset of “everyone is going to be a unique individual” opens the space for more customized learning. One area you will want to make decisions in early on is what is the optimum group size for an engaging virtual conversation. While some platforms do allow for breakouts and other capabilities, it is important to utilize as many engagement strategies as possible (breakout, annotation, small group discussion, breakouts, individual reflection etc).

Everyone understands what I am saying – even if your group all shares the same working language be sure to bust the assumption early on that what you are saying is being interpreted in the way you intend it to be. When we have fewer visual cues, it is impossible to check for understanding by looking at people’s faces. We need to ask questions, invite comments by chat,  have people breakout and speak with each other. Providing support to what’s being said through visual channels (think workbook or slide share) helps to reinforce key messages.  Creating an environment where people can ask questions (big and small) is also important to ensure that messages are being received as intended. Finally consider any  post-session follow-up to reinforce key messages.

They will follow up: Keeping things visible after the training is of critical importance for any facilitated conversation. As discussed in other posts and my writing, the benefit of virtual training can be that people can apply things real-time during the call, or immediately thereafter. Consider how you will create more of a focus on follow-through or accountability.

​Next week, I'll take a look at more of the assumptions we can be making.

Enjoy the start to your week,
​Jennifer

Today’s post gets you thinking about how to boost collaboration in virtual teams. There are many barriers to collaboration in today’s virtual and remote workspace including:
#1 - The technology itself
When working within a global team it may be likely that some people may have different accessibility options to different platforms, for example, meeting streaming services or file sharing. While we need to work within technological constraints it is important to regularly revisit what the lowest common denominator may be. While a person may not be able to access something on a laptop or desk top, can they access it through the wifi on their phone?
Consider what applications and platforms are needed for the team to excel and what platforms and/or technologies should be revisited.
 #2 - Knowing each other.
An essential foundation to effective collaboration and team work is knowing each other. If we don’t know what each others roles, styles and priorities are, it is hard o collaborate. Spending time in team meetings and through information sharing about roles, priorities and styles helps team members understand how they may overlap.
Help the team visualize their connections. You may choose to create a team map where on a white board, team members identify the different touchpoints, roles and priorities they have around major projects, goals and/or deliverables.
# 3 - Building in time for the team to connect
Structure focused time for the team to connect to get to know each other. This might include special projects which are done in smaller work teams, peer mentoring or coaching pairs or some job shadowing. There is much that can be learned between team members at different locations.
What else is going to boost collaboration for your virtual team? You may want to check out other Teams365 posts which address issues related to collaboration here.