6 tips for facilitating a good online meeting

In the beginning, I found organizing online sessions quite challenging. You are normally so used to feeling who wants to say what, or what is 'not' being said. How do you do this digitally from your laptop at home? Or how do you make sure that everyone keeps their attention?

Tooling is half the battle

To start with, tooling is half the battle. It sounds obvious, but using the right tooling is key. First of all, think about the purpose of your meeting. What do you want to achieve? Are you going to brainstorm, map processes or set priorities? With this information in the back of your mind, you can choose a tool in a much more targeted way. To make it easier for you, I've listed a few tools for you.

Trello board:

Trello's boards, lists and maps allow teams to share projects in a fun and flexible way. It's an easy tool to collaborate in, providing a clear shared perspective.

Microsoft Whiteboard:

It's actually in the name. Microsoft Whiteboard gives you a digital canvas to jot down all your notes. It is actually a digital version of the physical flipchart or whiteboard.

Reetro.io

This is a tool especially for scrum masters. The tool offers different formats and is ideal for preparing a retrospective.

But if I were to choose in the end, Miro would be my favorite. Why is that? Because it offers so many possibilities and it can be used for any project. From developing creative projects to discussing designs, brainstorming or creating mind maps. It is ideal!

Enough tooling now. It's time for the 6 golden tips. Ready? Set. Go!  

1. Good preparation is key

It's so easy to say, but good preparation really does matter. During online meetings, you simply have less room to improvise, so it takes work beforehand. Therefore, go through the different scenarios in advance and make sure you can adjust if necessary.

A. Check the technology. Is everything working properly? What do you do if someone unexpectedly drops out?

B. Can ambiguity arise during the meeting? Is everyone working with the same content and/or definition? Is there sufficient support for this meeting?

C. What do you do with topics that you can't figure out? (Tip: make a parking sign and literally 'park' the discussion).

D. Has everyone been properly briefed? Is everyone going into the meeting with the same expectations?

2. Expectations towards your teams

Entering an online meeting with the right expectations will save you a lot of time, hassle and perhaps even discussion. Make sure you always inform your team from the why, how and what.

A. What is the purpose of the meeting?

B. What is the timebox of this meeting?

C. What tooling will be used? Is there anything else expected from team members in preparation?

D. When is the meeting successful?

Always inform your team a few days in advance. This gives them plenty of opportunity to ask questions.

3. Camera on!

Camera shy? Hopefully we don't have that anymore. Still, sometimes it sneaks up on us to turn off the camera. Don't do it! Always turn your camera on, even when you share the screen. An online session without a face expression or reaction is just less effective. After all, you just want to know how everyone is doing. It also creates more trust and mutual understanding. So don't hesitate, turn the camera on!

4. Start with an energizer

Online sessions require a lot of energy. Often you go from one online meeting to the next and are still recovering from the last one (or maybe even a bit jaded). So take care of your people. Give them the space to get a drink or stretch their legs. But also think of energizers in the form of a quiz, story or asking a question. A little fun at the start of the meeting can give people that extra bit of energy during the session.    

5. Every digital opinion counts  

Online sessions sometimes create a greater contrast within the group. People who have a strong opinion are more likely to 'overrule' an online meeting, while people who find it more difficult to share their opinion may not do so at all. You want to prevent this from happening. That's why I started giving 'turns'. That way, everyone gets the opportunity to express themselves. The digital hands within Teams are a real godsend. That way, you can easily see whether everyone is given a chance to speak.

6. Arrange your timeboxing

Timeboxing is really nothing more than setting a realistic time frame for your online meeting. As I already mentioned in the first tip, there is less time to freestyle, so having something to hold on to during a meeting is extremely important. It gives you as a moderator the tools to lead the meeting in a structured way, but it also helps you reach your goal faster.  

Conclusion? Don't worry. Organizing a good online meeting is difficult for everyone. But do not let this stop you. Do not shy away from difficult conversations or complicated processes via an online meeting. Everyone learns by trial and error. So let's help each other. So do you have any other tips besides these 6 tips? Don't hesitate to share it with us or your network. This way we learn every day with and from each other.

Online sessions are important for your scrum teams, but also for the cooperation between Business and IT. Where you would normally discuss things at the coffee machine, you now use the online session for that. That is why it is unthinkable as an Agile Coach not to have online meetings between these two disciplines. After all, I'm all about getting these two disciplines to speak the same language.''