A competent facilitator is vital to the success of any group or learning process. Facilitators should be able to work from a remote location particularly in light of the increasing popularity of virtual meetings and workshops. To facilitate effectively in remote settings requires time and careful evaluation of the unique challenges participants face. This article explores key considerations and the best practices for successful virtual facilitation.
One of the biggest issues for a virtual participant is that they are unable to discern body language or observe how other people are reacting to the conversation. This can result in participants not feeling heard or their opinions being dismissed which could result in negative effects on the overall outcome of a session. Having quality facilitation skills helps to ensure that all voices are heard and that everyone is engaged throughout the session.
The absence of physical resources could also make it difficult to run certain exercises and activities the way they would be in an actual workshop. For instance, using whiteboards and flip charts, lots of post-it notes and other resources can be extremely effective in a live workshop but it can be difficult to replicate online. Bring a variety of different activities for an online session, such as breakout sessions, games www.mergerdataroom.blog/pros-and-cons-of-existing-enterprise-information-control-solutions/ that are experiential as well as more traditional elements like information sharing and posing questions.
