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| Because of the increasing availability of conferencing
technology, more and more meetings are held with participants who are geographically
dispersed. Active participation in videoconference meetings can be challenging
because the meeting experience is usually more stilted and the communication
flow can be frustrating. Here are some tips to overcome these obstacles. |
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Decide carefully who should be attending the
meeting at each site. Minimizing the number of participants maximizes the
visibility of each participant, the conversation flow and the overall human
connection. |
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To create more intimacy when participants are
strangers to one another, ask participants to send photos, short biographies
and other personal tidbits about themselves to others prior to the first
meeting. |
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A videoconference meeting should be especially
well-planned. Provide meeting materials far in advance and suggest ways
for participants to be well-prepared. |
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Prepare visual material in advance that can be
viewed clearly by all parties during the meeting. The less you rely on an
auditory exchange of information (as opposed to discussion) the better. |
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| Establish participation signals. Participants
can be asked to do any of the following to gain permission to speak. |
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Raise their hands |
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Say the facilitator's name first ("Chris, I have
an idea on this.") |
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Say their own name first ("Pat James here. I have
an idea.") |
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Tap the table in front of them |
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Whistle |
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Use some kind of sound signal |
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To equalize participation, take turns deliberately,
going from meeting site to meeting site. For example, "Let's hear from
the Atlanta group for the next five minutes." Or you might rotate among
sites for one brief contribution each. |
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Follow up each meeting with exchanges through
ordinary e-mail or through a discussion database. You could also use an
electronic meeting system that allows for synchronous discussion without
having to use videoconferencing facilities. |
Reprinted with permission from 101 WAYS TO MAKE MEETINGS ACTIVE:
Surefire Ideas to Engage Your Group, by Mel Silberman. Copyright © 2000
by Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 800.274.4434, www.pfeiffer.com.
Did You Know?
With the average plane trip costing just under $1,400 in hard and soft costs,
a person who travels to meetings by plane four times per month spends nearly
$5,500 in travel costs. Replacing two of the four plane trips with videoconferencing
yields savings of 38 percent (over $2,000).
A network MCI Conferencing White Paper. Meetings in America:
A study of trends, costs and attitudes toward business travel, teleconferencing,
and their impact on productivity (Greenwich, CT: INFOCOMM, 1998).
1. James Creighton, "Meeting Rooms of the Future",
Group Computing Magazine, Sept/Oct 1998.
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