Engaging Virtual Meetings

5Virtual Engagement Tools

There are a lot of engagement features built into every video platform. The best ones and how to use them are discussed here. As of June 2020, the top popular videoconferencing apps are Zoom, Microsoft Teams, RingCentral, and GoToMeeting.¹ The one constant in technology is change, so this list can change rapidly. The good news is that you can find similar features on whatever your favorite platform is.

“You cannot mandate productivity, you must provide the tools to let people become their best.”

—Steve Jobs

Only use the right tools for the right job. Often, the right tool is the one your participants already know rather than a new one. Please understand, you don't have to use any or all of these tools. As the host, it's useful to know about these tools so you can help solve challenges and keep the meeting engaging by using the correct tool during your meeting.

“The (person) who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”

—Confucius

As you think about tools, use the metaphor of small stones as your virtual meeting tools. Introduce your virtual meeting tools one at a time instead of introducing a mountain of them at the same time. Applying adult learning theory, if your participants experience success with a new tool, they are more likely to use it and are more likely to want to learn the next tool. Think about staging your tools. Do not introduce all of your virtual engagement tools at once. For new participants, this is overwhelming and ...