Online Facilitation
Date: March 31, 2020
Slide deck template, in editable form. This link will ask you to copy into your own account: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nhERf_Y2qjQjGrMV5ojXoVOmwtngFZFHT0JBXL9GLgc/copy
Please, please, please feel free to reproduce this workshop or share these materials to others. The deck is made to be sharable. I am also readily available to train, give tips, or be an audience as you practice your facilitation. A guest of this session put it best: "you have to learn by doing." Good luck!
Contact:
trinh@internetfreedomfestival.org
wire @trinhi
PGP 85C5 BFA0 98E9 06B7 7F43 8FB9 429B C210 7ADB 2935
Tips for better facilitation (online and in-person)
Meetings (whether online or in person) are a necessary part of working in any group. Far too often, meetings can drag on and on, people talking over each other, and few to no decisions are made. Bad meetings leave you wondering why you bothered turning up. This is even more compounded as we find ourselves more online than in-person. You can easily turn around the style of meetings to make it enjoyable, fun, inclusive, and productive. Below are some tips and things to think about when you plan your next meetings, online and IRL.
These tips are also applicable for those who are thinking about hosting workshops or webinars.
Always have an agenda or meeting purpose
Be realistic about what the meeting can achieve. Set time limits and tackle all points. Even for short, standing team meetings, it is important that your members know the purpose / agenda of the meeting. A guide I like to use to create agendas is POP (purpose, outcome, process): https://facilitationfirst.com/make-your-meetings-pop-setting-your-meeting-up-for-success/
Desired outcome(s) When thinking about your agenda, envision what makes a successful meeting for you. Is it to get clarity on a number of operational tasks? Is it to brainstorm ideas for fundraising? Is your desired outcome to have 100% of your team fully trained on x thing?
Who take notes? How are decisions / ideas / questions being documented? Even in standing team meetings, it can be easy to forget notes. Documentation is especially important, for those who are not able to be present during the meeting. Create a culture of note-taking that does not rely on just the womxn in your group. Take turns.
Be inclusive Inclusivity is not just about making sure those who need to be in the meeting is there, but also making sure they have the correct tools or ability to access the meeting. Global teams often mean juggling a lot of difficult timezones.
On video conferencing platforms that allow for chat, you can ask people to put their preferred gender pronouns and or locations next to their names. It's a good way to "see" who is all in the group.
Check-in & Check-Out questions Make sure to allow time for Check-in activities or exercises. It allows participants to be present, seen, and heard. Check-out allows for reflection. Check up these activities every so often if you're in standing meetings.
Co-facilitate / co-host for tech inclusion Allowing for a co-host is especially crucial if you're using an online video or voice platform. Make sure that not just one person is hosting an event. If their internet disconnects, you don't want the entire room to be closed. This especially happens for platforms like Zoom.
Especially for larger groups, a co-facilitator can help jump in when dealing with a difficult participant who always dominates the conversation or interrupting unnecessarily. A buddy will help you mitigate these participants so you can keep on track. For tech platforms, you can consider banning a person's ability to chat.
Silence is not consent. Take note of who is and is not speaking. It can be especially daunting during a webinar when no one else among the group is speaking after a prompted question. Silence is not a bad thing; just like in a classroom setting, silence can often mean people are thinking or working their fingers to answer via chat.
Be active! Incorporate icebreakers / exercises / build (virtual) meeting culture For those working mostly remotely/online these days, sitting in meetings after meetings can be very
Teach technology over time
The Tech You Use Matter
Don’t take my word for it, try it out yourself. As a facilitator, Tech is only useful if your team actually uses it. Don't let tech be a hinderance for your team / group. Low tech may sometimes be better than fancy tools. For your group, it may work better if folks just do voice-only calls with a shared Etherpad / Aim for privacy and security enhancing tools Admin and user settings Encryption / advanced security / 2FA Don’t let tech hinder!
A note on Zoom and other platforms out there:
When choosing tech
Extra reading
EFF: What You Should Know About Online Tools During the COVID-19 Crisis https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/03/what-you-should-know-about-online-tools-during-covid-19-crisis
How to Keep Uninvited Guests Out of Your Zoom Event (Zoom blog post) https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/03/20/keep-uninvited-guests-out-of-your-zoom-event/
Resources
350.org – Online Facilitation Resources https://trainings.350.org/topics/online-facilitation/
Training for Change: Online Facilitation Resources (including ice breakers and other activities) https://trainings.350.org/topics/online-facilitation/
HANDOUT: Stories about Facilitating Remote Meetings (google doc)
Hyper Island Toolbox (check out tools for remote teams)
Cryptpad (google suite alternative. Includes whiteboard, pad, kanban, etc) Etherpad (hosted by riseup.net. google docs alternative)
