Virtual Facilitation

Introduction

How often have you been in a virtual meeting and felt as though it was all about one-way communication? Have you found yourself wondering why the person running the meeting couldn't have just sent you an email or a screen recording? Do you find yourself reaching for your phone or checking your emails so you can ‘multitask’? Do you make affirmative noises just so it looks as though you're listening? Do you wonder how engaged the other participants are? Our research shows that 60% of participants do other work-related tasks and 47% even have tried to go to the toilet during a virtual meeting!

If you can relate to this scenario you're certainly not alone. We've all been there – and not only in virtual meetings, although virtual meetings have now gained a new level of importance. The Covid-19 pandemic definitely accelerated the use of virtual technology within business. However, the trend towards virtual working had already emerged prior to 2020. In fact, its popularity has been rising for several years.

Firstly, the climate crisis has encouraged, and in some cases even forced, companies to evaluate their carbon footprint and explore more environmentally friendly and sustainable ways of doing business. It's clear that changing global business practices will be vital in helping fight the climate crisis. Turning to virtual sessions that require less travel and therefore generate less pollution, as well as bringing teams from around the world together, will be essential ...