Schuman S. - The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation (2005)(en)

there is a dearth of research specifically investigating virtual meeting effectiveness. Organizational leaders, meeting participants, and facilitators currently depend on their general knowledge of organizational theory, group facilitation, and an understanding of group dynamics to support them in managing virtual employees and projects (Connell, 2002). Clearly, this is an area ripe for study.

BEST PRACTICES

It is generally accepted that face-to-face meetings benefit from skillful facilitation. The advantages that effective facilitation can provide are well known and well documented. Furthermore, there exists a set of commonly accepted best practices on which meeting facilitators agree. While many of these commonly accepted practices are applicable for the virtual facilitator (for example, setting agreed-on ground rules and seeking consensus), some new techniques are required for virtual meetings.

Although it is relatively early in the research process, it appears that facilitation does add value to virtual meetings. Because there is less social presence and more challenging technology in virtual meetings, we predict that studies will find facilitation to be as critical in virtual settings as in face-to-face ones, and possibly even more critical. Which existing facilitation practices can be adapted to the new venue, and what new facilitation techniques should be created to meet the new demands of these meeting environments? We are still early in the process of discovering a set of best practices, and it is unlikely that any one set will ever generalize to all possible virtual scenarios. However, we can draw on experience to make suggestions and practical recommendations to guide facilitators who are interested in expanding their facilitation practice to include virtual settings.

Before the Meeting

Scheduling Scheduling can be one of the more daunting tasks for virtual groups. It is common to have to deal with two or more time zones, and finding a time that works for everyone can be a challenge. As is the advice for so many things, it is important to overcommunicate when collaborating virtually. Send scheduling information to everyone well ahead of the meeting; then send it again the day before and even the morning of the meeting. It may sound like overkill, but it is easier to forget a meeting that happens in cyberspace than it is to forget a face-to-face meeting with the memory pegs of the physical space or passing a fellow meeting attendee in the hallway, among other things.

Have a standard protocol for contacting group members who are absent at the appointed meeting time. It is important to have accurate contact information on everyone scheduled to attend the meeting. In face-to-face settings, one has the option of running down the hall to someone’s office to remind the person of a meeting. This is not the case with virtual meetings.

The success of the meeting is heavily dependent on the quality of the preparation for it. A meeting checklist can be helpful to ensure that nothing is overlooked. Example checklists are shown in Exhibits 18.1 and 18.2 and are included on the CD accompanying this book. Also, see Exhibit 18.3 for an overview of premeeting facilitator actions.

Contracting As in traditional facilitation, a contracting process with the meeting owner is very valuable. The facilitator and meeting owner should discuss, at a minimum, the agenda and the desired meeting outcomes. Answers to the following questions should help ensure that the facilitator and meeting owner are in alignment as to how the meeting should go (this list is not exhaustive):

•What technology is available?

•What are the equipment requirements?

•Who will attend?

•How will everyone be attending? All present? Some on teleconference or videoconference?

•Are there any hot spots that will need to be dealt with carefully? For example, are particular topics likely to spark heated dialogue? Or perhaps there is a history of animosity between particular members, and this knowledge will help the facilitator manage any conflict that might arise.

It is the job of the facilitator to ensure an appropriate task-technology match. This means that all available technology that could be useful for the tasks of a specific meeting is being used appropriately and, furthermore, that no inappropriate technology is being used. Just because a company has access to sophisticated Web conferencing tools does not mean the tools are appropriate in every situation. Perhaps a simple teleconference would suffice. The general rule of thumb is to keep the meeting as simple as possible. Remember that the more technology that is added, the greater is the opportunity for costly (in terms of both time and money) technology failures.

Phone number (conference line):

Tech support phone number/pager number:

DATE

TASK ASSIGNED TO

COMPLETED COMMENTS

Scheduling

Schedule meeting dates, times, resources.

Send meeting confirmation to meeting owner.

Determine which equipment will be used, and schedule delivery if necessary.

Preparation

Conduct premeeting with meeting owner.

Provide information and results of premeeting with cofacilitators.

Day Before

Contact meeting owner to confirm that necessary people will be in attendance. (If not, does meeting need to be rescheduled?)

Upload documents, if necessary.

Confirm LAN connections are active and equipment is functioning in room you will be using.

During the Meeting

Cofacilitation One company that conducts frequent multisite videoconferences with large groups opted to train in-house facilitators from each site rather than continue to hire costly outside facilitation resources. Facilitators were brought together for an intensive two-week virtual facilitation training course. Their time together was vital in not only developing and honing facilitation skills and establishing a standard protocol, but in familiarizing the group members with each other so they could function as a team once they were back at their respective sites. Cofacilitation allows a facilitator to monitor his or her local room and also ensure that the participants at that site are getting adequate opportunity to take part in the meeting.

The facilitator in each site serves as an advocate for the participation of the individuals at that site. Cofacilitation, with one facilitator in each site, has proven especially valuable for this client. The savings in travel costs alone quickly offset

Exhibit 18.2

Premeeting with Meeting Owner

Exhibit 18.3

Facilitator Premeeting Actions

As Soon as Meeting Is Scheduled

•Determine the specific purpose and type of meeting (for example, sharing information, consensus building, problem solving).

•Schedule and meet with cofacilitators (if needed).

•Reserve room and equipment.

•Create and circulate agenda for feedback and input.

•Set deadline for receipt of documents (if using collaborative software to work on a document).

Two Days Prior to Meeting

•Distribute documents and agenda.

•Verify room and equipment reservations.

•Verify technical support availability. Day Before the Meeting

•Load documents and set up and test equipment.

•Ensure that you have phone numbers on critical contacts (for example, project manager, cofacilitators, technical assistant).

Day of the Meeting

•Arrive at least an hour early for the meeting.

•Ensure optimal room and equipment configuration (for example, U-shaped tables and the number of video cameras and monitors).

•Establish contact with other sites.

•Discuss last-minute details with cofacilitators.

the investment in training and technology, and new product development cycle time at this company has been shortened by 400 percent. The intangible benefits of less time away from the home office and less disruption to employees’ personal lives brought about as a result of excessive travel time is hard to assess in dollars but very valuable nonetheless.

While this company was willing to make the training investment that would ensure facilitation was a success, most cofacilitators do not have the luxury of joint training, but are thrown together at the last minute or simply informed that another site will have a facilitator in the room. If this situation arises, it is important to contact the other facilitator ahead of time to discuss how you will work together.

Other questions should be answered as well:

•How will differences be handled?

•What is the facilitation style of each facilitator?

•What roles will each facilitator play in the meeting?

•Will one be the lead facilitator and the other an assistant?

•Will the facilitators be coleaders?

•How will the facilitators signal to each other if one room would like the floor?

•Is it acceptable to intervene on behavior in the other’s room?

Questions such as these should be discussed before the facilitators are in front of the group (Bradley, Wagner-Johnson, and Ballantine, 2002). It is usually worth the time investment to delay the meeting for a few minutes and get on the phone with each other to discuss the game plan quickly rather than having this discussion, with its possible points of disagreement, in front of the group. Having cofacilitators in virtual meetings can be a valuable addition for the group as long as they work well together.

Introductions Once everyone is present or accounted for, the meeting should begin with introductions. In established groups, it is tempting, but unwise, to skip this step. If the group is familiar with everyone present, then the introductions become more identifications. Virtual meetings may have a few members attending by videoconference, a few members present in the room, and some connected by telephone. Members may be scattered across continents and communication technologies. It will help orient the meeting participants if they know who else is attending the meeting, where they are, and how they are connected. A visual display of this information, even on a flip chart, can remind the participants of the who and where.

Every meeting should begin with going around the meeting space and having everyone identified—for example, “I’m in Atlanta with Charles and Joe. We’ve got Rob, Scott, and Jennifer on the video link from Dallas, and we have several people on the telephone—Todd, Lana, and Robin. Have we accounted for everyone?” Another option is to have everyone introduce themselves. This can prove tricky in the virtual sphere without eye contact within a room. It is easier on videoconference when one can say, “England, please introduce yourselves.” The group there will tend to naturally go around the table and introduce themselves in an organized

order. On teleconference, this is difficult without people awkwardly stepping on each other, since they cannot use visuals to structure who speaks in turn. It is better in that situation for the facilitator to name everyone known to be joining by teleconference or bridge line and then ask if anyone has been missed. When someone joins the call late, the facilitator should take an appropriately timed moment to introduce that person. As should be apparent, the value of having a facilitator to structure the meeting begins from the first moment of the meeting.

Agenda Review and Meeting Process Once introductions have been made, as in a face-to-face meeting, the facilitator should clearly go over the purpose of the meeting and the agenda and seek confirmation that everyone is in agreement on these facts. Then the facilitator should suggest a process for accomplishing the goals of the meeting within the constraints (or with the assistance, to frame it in a more positive light) of the technology that is being used. It is usually best for the facilitator to explain that he or she is recommending a certain process, because it has been found to be effective in this particular virtual setting in the past. The facilitator should make the suggestion if the group needs it but should always seek agreement from the group. The group may have existing process norms with which the members are comfortable. Above all, it is important for the group to own its process.

The beginning of the meeting is also the time to discuss the process for relinking if the connection is lost. Will the meeting stop until everyone is reconnected? Will it continue? Will the facilitator contact the other sites by telephone? The process for relinking will be different based on the structure of the meeting, but the important thing is to have a plan in place.

Setting Ground Rules Next, the facilitator should discuss how members will gain the floor or otherwise be recognized in their various settings. On videoconference, it may be a wave or just speaking up. The facilitator should explain that his or her job is to make sure that everyone is able to participate. The group should be asked to signal the facilitator if they would like the floor or if they feel stepped on or cut off. In a face-to-face meeting, facilitators often use eye contact to signal to someone that they are aware that he or she wants the floor and to acknowledge that they will help get the meeting participant into the discussion. This can be difficult or impossible to do virtually. While trying to minimize any

interruption of the flow of the meeting, it is sometimes necessary for the virtual facilitator to make a statement such as, “That’s a good point, Tom. I think Joe on the bridge line was trying to say something earlier, and it also looks as if the group in Boise may have some input on this topic. So, Joe, let us hear from you. Then Boise, you follow up on Joe. Okay?” Often all that is needed is just a bit of structure to help the group stay organized and to enhance flow and the sense of inclusion.

Facilitating the Process Once the meeting is underway, the virtual facilitator’s job is much like it is in a face-to-face meeting, with these responsibilities:

•Providing structure to the VT meeting

•Encouraging participation

•Keeping the group on task

•Ensuring balanced participation

•Encouraging different points of view

•Encouraging effective decision making

•Dealing with conflict or an impasse

•Asking questions to help the group think through key issues

•Encouraging meeting participants to listen actively, creating an atmosphere of openness and trust

•Organizing and summarizing input from team members

•Moving the team though the stages of group decision making to consensus

In addition to these traditional facilitator tasks, the virtual facilitator must make sure all equipment is in place and in working order, monitor the meeting equipment, check in with individuals at other sites or on the telephone line (avoiding the out-of-sight, out-of-mind syndrome), make sure that people are comfortable and are not being shut out by technology anxiety, and ensure that meeting archives and other documents are captured for later dissemination.

Technology It is important that facilitators are comfortable with the meeting technology and that they project this confidence. A facilitator who is confident and competent with the technology will help put at ease any meeting participants who

are inhibited or intimidated by the technology. The facilitator should always take the time to explain or demonstrate how to operate the technology (preferably on a break) if someone expresses interest. The more demystified the technology is, the more the group’s comfort level will be increased. People fear what they do not understand. The facilitator can help the group understand the technology to the extent that it does not slow the progress or interfere with the process of the meeting. It is also nice to have others in the room who can troubleshoot if equipment malfunctions or temporarily operate the equipment if the facilitator needs to give his or her attention to other needs of the group.

Technology represents a challenge not just to groups but also to facilitators. Most facilitators are “people people.” This is often what drew them to facilitation in the first place. They tend to be comfortable with and enjoy working with people and not necessarily with machines. And they are not immune from the same apprehension about technology as the groups they are being asked to help. Nevertheless, it is important that virtual facilitators familiarize themselves with the technology to be used and become very comfortable with it. The group takes its cues from the facilitator, and it can distract or interfere with the functioning of the group if the facilitator seems anxious about technical glitches or projects a negative attitude toward the technology. Knowing who can help with technology breakdowns and how to contact those people can also save time when meetings that are difficult to schedule wait on hold until the link is reestablished.

It is best to accept that technological malfunctions or glitches are inevitable. The best defense is to have a plan for how to deal with them when they happen. If possible, ask for a tech support person to be on call. The facilitator should then keep that person’s pager number close by and should not hesitate to call if needed. The main thing for a facilitator to remember when there is a technology problem is to keep calm. If efforts to correct the problem are not successful, then it is usually best to suggest that the group take a short break while the facilitator gets the equipment working again. This approach allows the facilitator to move out of the spotlight as he or she tries to fix the problem. Once the problem is corrected, the facilitator should call the group back together, apologize for the delay, and pick up where the group left off. Most people have been frustrated with technology at some point and are usually understanding of short delays due to technology failure.

Part of good virtual facilitation, like all other facilitation, is the ability to think on one’s feet, and this often involves coming up with workarounds. The facilitator should always know what to do if the meeting loses the video feed, how to review