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One of the greatest challenges I'm facing running team meetings virtually is getting input from the less extroverted team members. When we had a meeting in a p
by thaway2839 4y ago
One of the greatest challenges I'm facing running team meetings virtually is getting input from the less extroverted team members.
When we had a meeting in a physical room, if I noticed someone hadn't said much, I could go "Hey John, any thoughts on this idea?", and it would largely be appreciated by John because it gave him an opportunity to speak in a room filled with other folks who were much better at getting their 2 cents in.
However, doing the same thing on a video or voice call feels completely different. It feels like I'm calling out the person who has been quiet, and comes across as a psychologically negative experience both for me and for John.
- zabil 4y agoHave you tried using break out rooms? We've tried grouping people to small groups (even as small as 2) and then regrouping to discuss further. It's not perfect, but does increase participation.
- ajmurmann 4y agoOn small to medium groups going "around the room" and asking everyone if they have anything to add can work without calling out one specific person. Of course not for every meeting type and situation.
- Graffur 4y agoIt's also a negative experience in person. Lots of people like to listen, internalize and think rather than just speaking.
- thaway2839 4y agoYes, those people usually speak out before the end of the meeting. That's not whom I'm talking about. And it's very easy to tell the difference between someone who is thinking and waiting to speak, and someone who is trying to get a word out but is unable to because they are more introverted or less confident than most of the other people in the room.