A competent facilitator is a crucial element for success in any learning or group process. With the increasing number of virtual meetings and workshops it’s become increasingly important for facilitators to be aware of how to facilitate in a remote location. To facilitate well in remote settings requires a lot of patience and careful analysis of the unique challenges participants confront. This article outlines the most important considerations and best practices for efficient virtual facilitation.
Virtual participants face a myriad of challenges, including the inability to understand body language and how other people react to an exchange. This can cause people to feel ostracized or their opinions brushed aside, which can negatively impact the outcome of a meeting. Having quality facilitation skills helps to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and participants are engaged throughout the session.
The absence of physical resources could also make it difficult to conduct certain exercises and activities as they would be conducted in a live workshop. In live workshops whiteboards, flip charts or post-it notes along with other visual resources are effective. However, this can be difficult for online workshops. Mixing a variety of activities, including breakout sessions and games that are experiential along with more traditional elements like questions and information sharing can help to keep a session online fresh and engaging.
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