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For engagement, one thing that works from me is telling people before the demo/presentation that you'd like them each to share their "feedback" afterwards. But,

For engagement, one thing that works from me is telling people before the demo/presentation that you'd like them each to share their "feedback" afterwards. But, replace "feedback" with a very specific thing that makes sense for the situation. So, let's say the demo is on a specific feature, then you might preface the demo by saying this is the way that you decided to solve the problem, but you want to hear from everyone on how you could have done it differently. That gives people the cue to be actively engaged by putting them between the problem and the solution. It also gives them fair warning that you're going to call on them afterwords, so it gives them time to think of something that they won't feel embarrassed to say (some people need time to be creative, while others think about alternatives and questions on the fly). Either way, if people aren't speaking up then they might not be engaged. That doesn't mean they weren't listening, it just means they don't know why they are there. Maybe it really is a waste of their time, or maybe they just think it's a waste of their time because they don't understand the expectations or purpose. My dad was a successful executive and he gave me several pieces of advice when I joined the workforce. I think #2 fits in this case, "Expectations are to people, what oil is to an engine".

randomdata 4y ago
The question, though, is why are you presenting live in the modern age in the first place? Perhaps 100 years ago there wasn't much choice but to form an assembly in a meeting room to present your information, but with all the technology we have today – and especially when you are working from home – that is completely unnecessary and counterproductive. A meeting can be very valuable, but only when the meting takes place after the participants have taken in the presentation and are ready to discuss it. After they've understood the material and have gathered any additional context needed to relate the information to the bigger picture. In my experience, when you do this the people involved will be much, much more engaged and you will see far more productive results from that. The "Let me bombard you with new information without the full context. Any questions?" meetings never go anywhere because the attendees haven't come prepared with the context they need. The people generally want to be engaged, but when something is sprung on them, it is hard to work with. Even when people do speak up, you can hear that they're struggling to relate it all together. Things are very different when it is an "after the fact" meeting. I suppose it is fun to reenact the past once in a while, but it is strange that we want to do it so frequently when it so clearly falls flat.

randomdata 4y ago

The question, though, is why are you presenting live in the modern age in the first place? Perhaps 100 years ago there wasn't much choice but to form an assembly in a meeting room to present your information, but with all the technology we have today – and especially when you are working from home – that is completely unnecessary and counterproductive. A meeting can be very valuable, but only when the meting takes place after the participants have taken in the presentation and are ready to discuss it. After they've understood the material and have gathered any additional context needed to relate the information to the bigger picture. In my experience, when you do this the people involved will be much, much more engaged and you will see far more productive results from that. The "Let me bombard you with new information without the full context. Any questions?" meetings never go anywhere because the attendees haven't come prepared with the context they need. The people generally want to be engaged, but when something is sprung on them, it is hard to work with. Even when people do speak up, you can hear that they're struggling to relate it all together. Things are very different when it is an "after the fact" meeting. I suppose it is fun to reenact the past once in a while, but it is strange that we want to do it so frequently when it so clearly falls flat.