Running effective virtual workshops requires a thoughtful approach to foster team connection and maintain engagement. Encouraging participants to be on camera, strategically grouping presentations and exercises, and managing the virtual board skillfully can significantly enhance the virtual workshop experience. In this lesson you will learn some tips and tricks of how to conduct your virtual workshop successfully.
Let’s go through some best practices to run your virtual sessions when starting a virtual workshop, encourage participants to turn on their cameras to foster a sense of team connection.
Have someone assist with access to the virtual board while you welcome participants. As they join Mural, share your screen to introduce the session and agenda, then stop sharing to focus on the board.
To maintain focus and engagement, minimize switching between applications by grouping presentations and exercises. For example, have all Power Point presentations in one slot and all interactive exercises in another.
Also, limit sessions to 4 hours, splitting the activities into two half-days, and take breaks.
Hide non-active exercises on the virtual board to avoid overwhelming participants and turn their visibility on as you progress.
Reading, writing and navigating through the workshop environment might take longer than in the on-site session, especially if some participants are not familiar with virtual collaboration tools. Have this in mind when adjusting the agenda.
Remember, some tasks are easier virtually, like copying sticky notes. Therefore, when reusing sticky notes in different exercises, you can copy them instead of moving them around. This will maintain the end-state of all different exercises, making documentation a lot easier.
Let’s summarize what you’ve learned:
- Encourage Camera Use: Always have participants turn on their cameras to foster better team connection during virtual sessions.
- Designate Support Roles: Have an assistant manage the access to the virtual board and share your screen to introduce the session and agenda.
- Optimize Workflow: Group all presentations and exercises to minimize application switching, such as consolidating all PowerPoint slots and interactive activities.
- Effective Time Management: Limit virtual sessions to 4 hours, split activities across two half-days, and ensure to take regular breaks to maintain focus and engagement.
- Simplify Navigation: Hide non-active exercises on the virtual board to focus participants on the exercise being performed.