Engaging Virtual Meetings

JOHN CHEN spent 10 years at Microsoft and earned 2 US Patents before founding and leading Geoteaming, a company that specializes in tech-based team-building and leadership training. He's been virtually meeting for over 35 years. He is a celebrated speaker and consultant, and has delivered his message to over 230,000 participants in over 30 countries.

• Acknowledgments xiIntroduction: Virtual Meetings Don’t Have to Suck xvBy Ed CohenPart 1 Principles and Preparation for Engaging Virtual Meetings 1Chapter 1 The ENGAGE Method for Leading Great Meetings 3A Brief Overview of the ENGAGE Method 3The ENGAGE Method in Depth 5Check-in 5Chapter 2 Preparing for Virtual Meetings 15Good Looks—The Virtual Presence Primer 15The Engaging Virtual Meeting Speaker Checklist 19Chapter 3 Psychological Safety: How to Get the Quiet Attendees (and everyone else) to Engage 25Chapter 4 Managing Participants 31Mute and Unmute Audio and Video 31Make Host 34Make Co-Host 35Rename 36Mute All 36Unmute All 37Mute/Unmute Participants on Entry 38Disallow/Allow Participants to Unmute Themselves 39Remove 41Raise Hand 42Yes/No 43Go Slower/Go Faster 44Dislike/Like 45Clap 46Need a Break 47Away 48Clear All 49Chapter 5 Virtual Engagement Tools 51Chat 52Private Chat 53Breakouts 55Reactions 62Record 64Share Video 64Share Whiteboard 67Share iPhone/iPad 69Polling 74Company-Wide Chat (only available in Microsoft Teams) 81Channels (only available in Microsoft Teams) 82Teams Apps (only available in Microsoft Teams) 83Chapter 6 Security 85Require Passwords 86Turn Screen Sharing Off 88Enable the Waiting Room 90Require Registration 95Lock Your Meeting 96Control Your Meeting’s Chat 97Secure File Transfer 97Part 2 Openers, Games, and Activities for Communication, Morale, and Trust 101Chapter 7 Openers 103Why Use Openers? 103Open with a Check-in Question 106Check-in 107Video Openers 110Matching and Mirroring Openers 113Virtual Meeting Nametag Openers 118Chat Openers 121Chapter 8 Activities for Communication, Morale, and Trust 125“Yes, and . . .”—Accept Attendees’ Ideas and Improve Communication 126Three-Headed Consultant—Communicating One Word at a Time 127A to Z—Teaching Why Your Meeting Needs a System 128Alpha Names—A Networking Activity to Learn Everyone’s Name 129Last Team Texting—Sharing Valuable Information 131PechaKucha (peh-chak-cha)—Present in Just 6 Minutes 40 Seconds 133PowerPoint Karaoke—Improving Improvisation 134Blind Tangrams—Do Not Assume in Your Communication 135Broken Squares—Giving is Better Than Getting for Engaging Meetings 137Trust Grid—Mapping and Improving Trust 139The Johari Window—Discover Attendee Blind Spots 1421 CACHE—Make Decisions Faster and Stick Longer 144Chapter 9 Collab—Work Well with Others 149Simultaneous Editing—Creating a Case Study 150Towers of Hanoi—Build a Tower, Build a Team 152Grid Unlock—How to Work Together to Solve Problems 153Meeting Mine Field—Collaborating to Complete a Goal 155Poll Survivor—Setting Meeting Priorities and Making Hard Decisions 157Chapter 10 End Your Meeting on a High Note 161Applause—Celebrating Together 162Kudos—Acknowledging Attendees 162I Commit . . .—Public Commitment to Change 163Just Three Words—Powerful Closure Quickly 164Call and Response—High Energy, Engaging All 165The Last Word—The Final Statement of Your Meeting 166Draw—A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words 167Q&A—Questions and Answers 169After Hours—The Party After the Party 169One Thing Better—Improving 1% at a Time 170Plus-Delta—What Did You Like? What Could Be Even Better? 173WWW—What, So What, Now What? 174Chapter 11 Fun and Games for High-Performing Teams 175Happy Hour—Share a Beverage Together 177Charades—Improving Your Nonverbal Communication 179Reverse Charades—Improving Everybody’s Nonverbal Communication 179Hat Day—Fun on Your Head 180Pajama Day—Work in Your Jammies 182Virtual Backgrounds—Your Setting Can Create Pure Laughs to Serious Business 183Yoga—Stretch and Breathe 187Dance Party—Freedom of Creativity 189Karaoke—Sing a Song 192Book Club—You Get a Book 195Movie Night—Better Than the Drive-in 197Talent Show—Your Meeting’s Got Talent 198Dinner Party—Celebrate and Learn More About Each Other 198Trivia Night—What Do You Know? 199Where in the World—International Networking 200Memory Match Breakouts—Learn Where to Look 202Poker Tournament—I’m All In! 202Chapter 12 Innovation 205100 Uses—Use Something in Ways Not Intended 206Post-its—Virtual Brainstorming 206Add One Line—Adding Creativity 207Move One Line—Creativity with More Than One Solution 210License Plates—Innovative Communication with Few Characters 213Office Move—Working Together to Switch Places 214Part 3 Leading Large Virtual Meetings and Conferences 219Chapter 13 Tips for Presenters, Trainers, and Sales 221Engage and Interact with Every Attendee 221Never Lead a Meeting Alone 222Good Looks 224Air Traffic Control 227Get Productive with Virtual Tools 228End Your Meeting on a High Note 232An Example: Engaging Virtual Meetings Training 233Chapter 14 Tips for Emceeing and Hosting 235Engage and Interact with Every Attendee 235Never Lead a Meeting Alone 236Good Looks 236Air Traffic Control 236Get Productive with Virtual Tools 236End Your Meeting on a High Note 236Chapter 15 How to Run a Virtual Workshop or Conference 239Tips for High-Stakes Meetings and Board Retreats 239Hybrid Board Retreat Tips 240The Challenge 240The Solution 241The Conference 249The Result 250Part 4 Advanced Engaging Virtual Meetings 253Chapter 16 Advanced Tips 255Annotate—Collaborate by Marking Up Your Shared Screen 255Remote Control—Give Control to a More Technical Attendee 262Branding Your Meeting Registration—Connect Registration to Your Company 266Branding Your Waiting Room—Beautify Your Virtual Lobby 269Customize Your Video Recording Waiver—Protect Your Company When You Record 272Record Multiple Video Views—Get the Right Shot from Your Virtual Meeting 275Microsoft Teams Share PowerPoint—Faster Attendee Review 280More Advanced Tips 281Chapter 17 The Future of Engaging Virtual Meetings 283Suddenly Everyone is Interested 284Virtual is Here Even If There is a Cure 284The Hard Stuff is Easy, the Soft Stuff is Hard 285Think Cinematically 286Virtual is Going to Innovate Rapidly 287The Theory of Bandwidth 289Moving Closer to Reality 290Endnotes 293About Geoteaming 299