It happened to all of us: you are into a meeting and all of a sudden your mind goes elsewhere and you get lost in the discussion or de focus on content so much that you are not able to recall it. Let’s be fair: in some cases the meeting is so long and boring that all in all deserves this lack of attention.
Can happen, obviously, but there are some actions you can take to keep your audience “up and running”, whether you are in person, in video conferencing or audio conferencing.
It goes without saying that in many situations especially in these times, the remote connection is the only way to effectively exchange information. However, it remains difficult to maintain adequate levels of attention because the tool does not fully support this approach: you are continuously distracted by incoming emails. chats and pop ups and this is not clearly helping to stay focused.
So here are five simple techniques that can be used in the virtual world:
- Make it personal: always maintain a connection between people and the expected results of the virtual meeting. Always keep in mind the WIIFM rule, or What Is It For Me (what it means to me). Getting people to think for a moment about what they want to achieve from their participation and asking them what their goals are is a way to get them involved in a discussion and to share a common goal.
- Make it visual: use images. There is a downside to allowing you to have a computer on during virtual calls but if used in a way that requires attention and movement it can be helpful. If you only use pictures, you can send written materials to people who can use them as reference and take notes, as appropriate.
- Keep the rhythm. Maintain a brilliant pace and focus on process and content. When lengthy discussions are always needed, attention is crucial.
- Eye contact is key: where possible (due to technology, bandwidth) try to provide eye contact. Whether using a group video Skype call or other platforms providing people with the opportunity to be seen, it can serve to keep people responsive and present. Always force people to have cameras on, makes a lot of difference to have them and you visually together.
- Variate regularly. Change the rhythm regularly. Adapting the pace every 7-10 minutes is essential. You can achieve this effect with a question for the participants to think about, something they can write down or ask their neighbor about. The most experienced virtual facilitators are aware of the level of attention during the call and when a change of pace is needed.
