

You’ll need to enable the collaborative whiteboard feature in your web conferencing tool. It also lets folks experience the group whiteboard feature of a web conferencing tool during a safe and low-stakes activity, so that later, when you ask them to dot vote or contribute to a group visual, they aren’t totally lost. The check-in grid is a quick, easy and fun way to avoid the awkward stumbling while still giving everyone a chance to have his or her voice heard. How about trying a visual alternative in your next meeting? This one was shared with me by a student in one of my digital facilitation workshops. You’re familiar, I’m sure, with the awkward-silence-and-simultaneous-speaking method of going around the virtual room. Even if that’s not in your agenda, it’s helpful to have folks take a minute to check in once the group has assembled. Getting people comfortable in a virtual meeting can be a challenge, especially if you plan to use some of the more advanced features of your web conferencing tools.
