One of the biggest challenges we face in facilitating online workshops is to make sure people stay engaged throughout. It’s so easy for people to switch off, given the amount of time we spend staring at screens nowadays.
So, as a facilitator, how do you make your online workshops more enjoyable and more productive? These are my suggestions.
1 Run shorter sessions
The days of the full-day or even half-day workshop are over in an online environment. People can’t sit still and stay focused for longer than the length of a Netflix drama. No more than 60 mins in one stretch. Have lots of short breaks to give people the opportunity to re-energise.
I recommend holding online sessions that run 3 hours maximum. Ideally shorter. If there are lots of topics to cover, run several separate sessions.
2 Insist on ‘cameras on’
Don’t let people hide behind a dark screen. With cameras on, you can interact with people more easily and be better placed to observe body language. It also discourages people from getting distracted or multi-tasking. This can be difficult if people have dodgy wifi, but try to ensure the majority comply.
3 Encourage frequent use of the ‘chat’ function
If you've got a large group, say over 15, encourage people to use the Chat function. Ask them to pose questions, pass comments, suggest ideas, add links. Prompt this throughout. This way, everyone will feel able to contribute throughout. It also helps people who feel uncomfortable speaking up in virtual sessions.
Ensure that you regularly refer to the Chat comments to demonstrate that the contributions are useful. If this proves to be challenging, allocate it to a fellow facilitator and ask them to report back on what’s been written. Make sure you download and circulate the Chat comments to the attendees afterwards. It will act as a collective notes page for the whole group.
4 Continually pose questions
Encourage discussion by asking open questions throughout. Don’t present for too long without any audience participation. (10 mins max) Attention spans are particularly short in online workshops, especially in a home-office environment. There are many tempting distractions. Therefore continually prompt conversations and engagement via your questioning.
5 Keep it pacey and energetic
I tend to keep break-out sessions shorter than in real-life sessions, to ensure teams stay focused on the tasks at hand. Keep a close eye on the clock. Use visible timers or countdowns throughout. People don’t need to physically move around or change places, so that will also save you some time vs face-face sessions.
Generating energy is key and it’s even more important in an online environment. Ramp up your enthusiasm and be super-supportive and encouraging to all participants. If participants flag, get them to stretch or move around.
6 Use a Variety of Collaboration Tools
Using several online tools adds to the energy of the session. My preferred online tools are Zoom for discussing and Mural for capturing ideas. Other tools can play a useful role too. Slido is great for simple polls. WhatsApp is brilliant for banter and fun stuff. Choose the tools that work for you. They bring fresh energy and focus.
7 Use the Zoom breakout ROOM function
The breakout group is the staple of all workshops. My experience is that it’s much easier using Zoom compared to other platforms such as Teams. You can send people into groups and bring them back at will. You can mix and match participants easily. You can jump in and out of them. Using the Zoom Breakout function skillfully can add real dynamism to your session.
To Summarise
Engagement is the number one obstacle in online workshops. People are distracted so easily. Therefore you’ve got to work really hard at it. Shorter sessions should be the norm. Insist on ‘cameras on’, so you connect more easily. Keep it as focused, sharp, and interactive as possible. Master and use all your favourite online tools to support you.
With practice, your online sessions will be just as productive and engaging as your face-to-face ones.