Tips For Facilitating Virtual Workshops

The ultimate guide to creating transformational workshop experiences (Even if you're not a natural facilitator) Ever had that gut-punch moment after a workshop where you just know it didn’t land? I’ve been there. Back then, I thought great workshops were all about cramming in as much content as possible. You know what I mean: - Slides with inspirational quotes. - The theory behind the frameworks. - More activities than a summer camp schedule… Subconsciously I believed that: The more I shared, the more people would see me as an expert. The more I shared, the more valuable the workshop. And participants would surely walk away transformed. Spoiler: they didn’t. They were hit-and-miss. But then on a leadership retreat in 2016, I stumbled onto something that changed everything. Something so obvious it's almost easy to miss. But when you intentionally use them, it took my workshops from "meh" to "mind-blowing": Three simple principles: 1️⃣ Context-based Learning People don't show up as blank slates. They bring their own experiences, challenges, and goals. When I started anchoring my content in their reality, things clicked. Suddenly, what I was sharing felt relevant and useful — like I was talking with them instead of at them. 2️⃣ Experiential Learning Turns out, people don’t learn by being told. They learn by doing (duh). When I shifted to creating experiences, the room came alive. And participants actually remembered what they’d learned. Experiences like roleplays, discussions, real-world scenarios, the odd game... 3️⃣ Evocative Facilitation This one was a game-changer. The best workshops aren’t just informative — they’re emotional. The experiences we run spark thoughts and reactions. And it's our job to ask powerful questions to invite reflection. Guiding participants to their own "aha!" moments to use in the real world. (yup, workshops aren't the real world) ... When I started being intentional with these three principles, something clicked. Participants started coming up to me after sessions, saying things like: "That’s exactly what I needed." "I feel like you were speaking directly to me." "I’ve never felt so seen in a workshop before." And best of all? Those workshops led to repeat bookings, referrals, and clients who couldn’t wait to work with me again. Is this the missing piece to your expertise? - If so, design experiences around context. •Facilitate experiences that evoke reactions •Unpack reactions to land the learning ♻️ Share if you found this useful ✍️ Do you use any principles to design your workshops?

Ever notice how some leaders seem to have a sixth sense for meeting dynamics while others plow through their agenda oblivious to glazed eyes, side conversations, or everyone needing several "bio breaks" over the course of an hour? Research tells us executives consider 67% of virtual meetings failures, and a staggering 92% of employees admit to multitasking during meetings. After facilitating hundreds of in-person, virtual, and hybrid sessions, I've developed my "6 E's Framework" to transform the abstract concept of "reading the room" into concrete skills anyone can master. (This is exactly what I teach leaders and teams who want to dramatically improve their meeting and presentation effectiveness.) Here's what to look for and what to do: 1. Eye Contact: Notice where people are looking (or not looking). Are they making eye contact with you or staring at their devices? Position yourself strategically, be inclusive with your gaze, and respectfully acknowledge what you observe: "I notice several people checking watches, so I'll pick up the pace." 2. Energy: Feel the vibe - is it friendly, tense, distracted? Conduct quick energy check-ins ("On a scale of 1-10, what's your energy right now?"), pivot to more engaging topics when needed, and don't hesitate to amplify your own energy through voice modulation and expressive gestures. 3. Expectations: Regularly check if you're delivering what people expected. Start with clear objectives, check in throughout ("Am I addressing what you hoped we'd cover?"), and make progress visible by acknowledging completed agenda items. 4. Extraneous Activities: What are people doing besides paying attention? Get curious about side conversations without defensiveness: "I see some of you discussing something - I'd love to address those thoughts." Break up presentations with interactive elements like polls or small group discussions. 5. Explicit Feedback: Listen when someone directly tells you "we're confused" or "this is exactly what we needed." Remember, one vocal participant often represents others' unspoken feelings. Thank people for honest feedback and actively solicit input from quieter participants. 6. Engagement: Monitor who's participating and how. Create varied opportunities for people to engage with you, the content, and each other. Proactively invite (but don't force) participation from those less likely to speak up. I've shared my complete framework in the article in the comments below. In my coaching and workshops with executives and teams worldwide, I've seen these skills transform even the most dysfunctional meeting cultures -- and I'd be thrilled to help your company's speakers and meeting leaders, too. What meeting dynamics challenge do you find most difficult to navigate? I'd love to hear your experiences in the comments! #presentationskills #virualmeetings #engagement

I’ve been thinking a lot about the 90 minute virtual meeting paradox. We spend the first 30 minutes on welcoming everyone and introductions, the next 15 on framing, and then a few people share thoughts. Then, just when the conversation gets meaningful, the host abruptly announces "We're out of time!” and throws a few rushed closing thoughts and announcements together. Sound familiar? We crave deep, meaningful, trust-based exchanges in virtual meeting environments that feel both tiring and rushed. It seems like as soon as momentum builds and insights emerge, it’s time to wrap up. Share-outs become a regurgitation of top-level ideas—usually focused on the most soundbite-ready insights and omitting those seeds of ideas that didn’t have time to be explored further. And sometimes, we even cite these meetings as examples of participation in a process, even when that participation is only surface level to check the participation box.  After facilitating and attending hundreds (thousands?) of virtual meetings, I've found four practices that create space for more engagement and depth: 1. Send a thoughtful and focused pre-work prompt at least a few days ahead of time that invites reflection before gathering. When participants arrive having already engaged with the core question(s), it’s much easier to jump right into conversation. Consider who designs these prompts and whose perspectives they center. 2. Replace round-robin introductions with a focused check-in question that directly connects to the meeting's purpose. "What's one tension you're navigating in this work?" for example yields more insight than sharing organizational affiliations. Be mindful of who speaks first and how difference cultural communication styles may influence participation.  3. Structure the agenda with intentionally expanding time blocks—start tight (and facilitate accordingly), and then create more spaciousness as the meeting progresses. This honors the natural rhythm of how trust and dialogue develop, and allows for varying approaches to processing and sharing.  4. Prioritize accessibility and inclusion in every aspect of the meeting. Anticipating and designing for participants needs means you’re thinking about language justice, technology and materials accessibility, neurodivergence, power dynamics, and content framing. Asking “What do you need to fully participate in this meeting?” ahead of time invites participants to share their needs. These meeting suggestions aren’t just about efficiency—they’re about creating spaces where authentic relationships and useful conversations can actually develop. Especially at times when people are exhausted and working hard to manage their own energy, a well-designed meeting can be a welcome space to engage. I’m curious to hear from others: What's your most effective strategy for holding substantive meetings in time-constrained virtual spaces? What meeting structures have you seen that actually work?

Toilets, Trains, and Teamwork — What my vacation to Japan taught me about facilitation. I just got back from nearly two weeks in Japan. I lived there for a few months during a semester abroad in college, but it had been (cough) a few decades since I’d been back. SO much fun, and SUCH an inspiring place. Below are a few reflections on what workshop facilitators (whether in-house or independent) can learn from the unique (and sometimes crazy) world of Japanese culture. (Check out the carousel for more details.) ----- 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗼𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. HOW TO APPLY THIS TO FACILITATION: - Design sessions that ebb and flow — from wild to still, from loud to reflective. That rhythm makes everything more memorable. - Build in moments of quiet reflection between high-energy exercises. - Don’t just facilitate the discuss — facilitate the tempo and energy. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀. HOW TO APPLY THIS TO FACILITATION: - We don’t let people talk all willy-nilly in workshops. Discussions are sequenced. The facilitator decides who speaks in what order. - Build a rhythm into your sessions where everyone gets a chance to reflect, speak, and respond — not just react-in-real-time. This avoids the “collaboration chaos” of typical meetings. - When we model turn-taking as facilitators, we show that speed isn’t just about “going fast” — it’s about flowing together without friction. 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗶-𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼-𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵. HOW TO APPLY THIS TO FACILITATION: - The best sessions aren’t about the flashiest tools — they’re about using the right format to get the best thinking from the group. - Sometimes Sticky-Notes + Marker beats an app. Don’t mistake “modern” for “better.” - Use high-tech tools to speed things up — but low-tech tools to slow things down when it matters. Both have their place. 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹. HOW TO APPLY THIS TO FACILITATION: - Magic doesn’t come from complexity — it comes from intention. - Add tiny moments of delight — a surprising slide, a thoughtful snack, a playful sound cue — that make the experience feel crafted and special. - Use subtle cues to guide the flow, like musical timers, visual signals, or tone shifts — so people always feel held, not herded. 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆. HOW TO APPLY THIS TO FACILITATION: - Treat fun as fuel — not fluff. The sillier moments can often lead to the smartest insights. Design sessions that are both fun and productive — not one, then the other. - A light atmosphere makes heavy work feel possible. The goal isn’t to make everything easy — it’s to make it easier to try.

The digital boardroom is often a thicket of sensory noise. We invite people to gather in virtual spaces, but we forget to prepare the soil. We expect a harvest of ideas without considering the environment. I have seen a lack of structure cause brilliant minds to wither. If your meeting requires tracking moving faces, reading a scrolling chat, and watching a dense slide deck all at once, you are not hosting a meeting. You are creating a sensory storm. This is where "Zoom Fatigue" takes root. It is the biological exhaustion of the neurodivergent brain attempting to filter chaos. When the trellis is broken, the vine collapses. Below is The Virtual Inclusion Audit (Part 3). Here are my 11 ways to optimize your virtual classroom, boardroom, or gameroom. Over the last five years I have ran over 100 virtual training events and my TTRPG group just hit our 51st online session. I wish I would've been using these at the beginning. These field-tested shifts reduce friction between your ideas and the nervous systems receiving them. 11 Ways to Cultivate Accessible Virtual Spaces The Pre-Meeting Map ❌ Barrier: Surprise topics exclude those who need time to regulate. ✅ Fix: Send a plain-text agenda 24 hours early. This allows for pre-processing. The Camera Choice ❌ Barrier: Mandatory "Cameras On" causes hyper-vigilance. ✅ Fix: Make cameras optional. This saves energy for processing content. The Chat Discipline ❌ Barrier: Fast-moving chat boxes cause data loss for Dyslexic readers. ✅ Fix: Read chat aloud. This creates a unified audio anchor for the group. The Visual Anchor ❌ Barrier: Unexplained visuals exclude those with visual differences. ✅ Fix: Narrate the slide layout. This builds a shared mental map. The Transition Signal ❌ Barrier: Rapid topic jumps leave some stuck on the previous point. ✅ Fix: Use explicit verbal cues. This resets focus and prevents drift. The Processing Pause ❌ Barrier: Constant talking blocks information storage. ✅ Fix: Schedule "silent minutes." This enables deeper synthesis. The Sensory Buffer ❌ Barrier: Background noise creates Auditory Overload. ✅ Fix: Strict "mute" rule. This protects the primary signal. The Recorded Legacy ❌ Barrier: "Live-only" sessions exclude those with Brain Fog. ✅ Fix: Provide a searchable transcript. This creates a permanent resource. The Question Queue ❌ Barrier: Shouted Q&A rewards the loudest voices. ✅ Fix: A hand-raise system. This ensures the best ideas surface. The Caption Default ❌ Barrier: Asking for captions creates a "disclosure burden." ✅ Fix: Enable captions by default. This aids universal comprehension. The Collaborative Canvas ❌ Barrier: Verbal-only modes ignore those who process through writing. ✅ Fix: Use shared docs. This captures a diverse range of perspectives. The Verdict: A quiet garden grows best. Stop over-stimulating your team and start pacing. #InclusiveEducation #VirtualLearning #Neurodiversity #Leadership #Accessibility

Do you need to host an online workshop for distributed team members? I got you covered with 5 tips to make the event value-add! Remote workshops come with their own set of challenges (no surprise, right?!). But with more teams hybrid, remote, or even time zones away, you have to adapt. I have participated in remote workshops, and I’ve led them. I’ve tried new things. I’ve seen (and had) a fair share of successes and failures. I’ve listened. I’ve learned. Here are my tips: 1. Establish Expectations Early Reach out to participants with a clear plan and set expectations for their behavior during the session. When the workshop starts, lay down the ground rules and explain how to use the technology. In a remote workshop, distractions are your enemy. Establish a policy of keeping cameras on during the session. ----------------- 2. Use a Flexible Agenda A well-structured agenda is essential, but remember to include some flexibility. Create flexible sessions — discussions, exercises, or breaks that can be expanded or contracted as needed. This approach allows you to adjust the schedule on the fly without participants noticing, ensuring the workshop stays on track no matter what. ------------------ 3. Provide Clear Instructions Even the best explanations can sometimes be missed or misunderstood. To avoid confusion, put short, clear descriptions of exercises and activities in a shared document or collaboration board. This ensures that everyone knows what’s expected of them, even if they need to reference the instructions later. ------------------ 4. Maximize Participant Involvement A facilitator's role is to draw out the best ideas from participants, not to dominate the conversation. Prioritize practical sessions over lengthy lectures to ensure that participants are actively contributing rather than passively listening. Address people by name, in an inviting way, if they aren’t participating (“Hey [name], I don’t think we’ve heard from you on this yet. Do you have an opinion about [xyz]…”). ------------------ 5. Include Regular Breaks Sitting in front of a screen for hours can be exhausting, so make sure to include regular breaks. A 5-10 minute break every 45-60 minutes is usually enough to give participants a chance to recharge. This helps maintain a sense of connection and keeps energy levels up. Online and remote workshops aren't necessarily better or worse than in-person sessions. The big difference between the two is a matter of logistics. And if done well, remote workshops can be an empowering tool rather than a limiting one. They can make the workshop process better. If you want to learn more practical tips on facilitating effective meetings, sign up for The Digital Butterfly membership waitlist today! 😎

Part 2/3: Deepening Engagement in Virtual Workshops As I've navigated through numerous virtual workshops, I've discovered more strategies that deepen engagement and make every session more impactful. Sharing my journey and learning with you, here are additional insights I've found invaluable: 1. Personalize your approach: I've learned the importance of tailoring the content to the audience. This allows me to customize examples and case studies to better resonate with their experiences and challenges. 2. Use engaging visuals and interactive tools: I've incorporated more visual aids and interactive elements like polls, quizzes, and breakout rooms. These tools not only break up the monotony but also encourage participation. It's amazing how a simple poll can invigorate a session and provide instant feedback. 3. Follow-up is key: I make it a habit to send out a summary email after each workshop. This email includes key takeaways, answers to any unanswered questions, and additional resources. It's a small effort on my part, but it goes a long way in reinforcing the learning and showing participants that I value their engagement and growth. 4. Share your journey: I've found that sharing my own learning journey, mistakes included, makes me more relatable and builds a stronger connection with the audience. It demystifies the learning process and encourages participants to embrace their own growth paths with more confidence. I'm curious to know, how do you adapt your sessions to keep participants engaged and ensure they're not just passive listeners? Stay tuned for Part 3, where I'll share some final thoughts and tips on mastering virtual workshops.

Sitting through another online event, nodding along, but not really feeling engaged? I just experienced this feeling last week in an online webinar. There has been trouble with tech, which consumed a lot of time, there was little interaction with the participants, and the wasn’t quite built for everyone in the room. I left feeling disappointed and unmotivated. I've been moderating events, facilitating workshops, and giving trainings now for over 20 years. In this time, I’ve learned that truly engaging and great events are rare. The good part: it is a skill that people can learn. Three takeaways that I share with folks who are just starting out or for those with more experience who could also need a check-in from time to time are the following: Preparation is key. Always keep the audience in mind. And, offer various ways to learn. Preparation: With the goal and purpose in mind you should design the event. From opening with welcoming, sharing the agenda and rules of engagement to delivering the content to closing with a summary and feedback. Do several dry runs, meaning that you go through your whole program without audience or maybe with colleagues who can give constructive feedback. Also consider which tech will be used and test it before using it. Audience: The event is not for you; it’s for the audience. What do you know about the people who are attending? Do the participants know each other? Which questions could you ask to learn about their expectations, needs, and knowledge? You can do that, i.e,. through polls, surveys, or discussions. Be flexible and don’t be scared to adjust the agenda if needed, and communicate why you are doing what you are doing. There have been so many times that I was a participant and I couldn’t follow the instructions, or I didn’t understand what was asked of me. Learning: People learn differently. By offering various ways to learn, engage, and participate, everyone in the room has a chance to achieve the set objectives. It might be useful to make learning and reflection materials accessible prior to, during, and after the event. Some people prefer working alone while others prefer working in groups. Some need to hear, others need to read content. Don't just think about what you like, but educate yourself about what people with different ways of thinking need. And let me be clear. You'll never please everyone in the room. That’s okay. But by following the above-mentioned tips, you can get pretty close. And remember, there is help out there - hello Ellen and team 👋🏾 What is important to you in virtual spaces? What have been good or bad experiences? Do you need help in creating more engaging and inclusive events? Send me a DM. #Facilitation #Workshops #Training #Virtual #SaferSpaces ALT- Text in the comments.

Over the past few weeks, I've been upskilling and reskilling 100+ global trainers in my Virtual Facilitation Skills certification program. The diversity of languages and cultures represented has been amazing and energizing! Although everyone spoke English, to help us navigate and overcome any lingering language barriers, we did these five things to help: 🌎 Activated the multilingual speech recognition in MS Teams, to have live translated captions appear in each participants' chosen language. 👩💻 Used PowerPoint Live's "Translate Slides" feature in MS Teams, allowing each participant to see the visuals in their selected language. 💻 Had Google Translate open in the background on my laptop, so I could quickly translate any unclear info into a group's native language... then copied & pasted it into Chat for reference. The speed of this tool helped tremendously when it was needed! 📚 Shared the participant workbook in advance, as part of the program prep assignment, so they could review any unfamiliar terms and take their time to read through the document. 📽️ Created a short program overview video in everyone's native language to ensure key messages about program requirements and other important messages were heard. I used Synthesia's avatars and language translation features - so easy and the participants appreciated it! If you're not familiar with any of these tools, I'll add links to them in the comments below. Virtual Presenters.... What other global audience techniques would you add to my list? #virtualfacilitation #virtualtraining #virtualpresenters #msteams #global #learninganddevelopment

#TGIF - Today, I'm sharing some learning from conducting workshops . These were value-driven product strategy workshops with impactful results as shared by my participants. Most of these are actual reasons for the packed workshops which you can use. Plan and Set an #Agenda: Start with a well-defined agenda to keep the session focused and on track. Never ever skip this. Keep phones on silent mode or away during the session. Consider All #Biases: Keep personal biases and feelings out of the room to ensure decision-making within/between and among participants is not compromised. Use #Factual #Data: Prepare in advance, get those real world use cases, collect, share and support strategic choices with facts to ensure credibility and effectiveness. #Prioritize #Ideas: After generating ideas, evaluate and prioritize them based on their potential impact, feasibility, and alignment with your product's goals and what the participants can prototype. Organize them by importance, size, or other relevant factors. Be Open to #Feedback: Actively seek input from participants and stakeholders such as co-facilitators, customers, and team members. Listen to their concerns and suggestions, and be willing to incorporate new ideas into your strategy. Don’t drive it alone. #Encourage Diverse #Thinking: Create a fun and inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are encouraged to drive innovative solutions. Give people room to speak without fear. Add joy. Build Participant #Consensus: From the beginning aim to build consensus among participants to ensure everyone is aligned with the strategy and is going along as a team. Look out for isolated members, get them involved. Set Clear #Objectives: Define clear, measurable objectives to provide a direction for your strategy workshop. Don't lose sight of the collective goals. Write them out, big and bold. Create a #Roadmap: Finally develop a strategic roadmap to outline the steps needed to achieve your objectives for every participant. #FollowUp: Ensure there are follow-up actions to implement the agreed-upon strategy and monitor progress, make sure everyone has a role to play, every gear has a rotary action, one stops, everyone stops.   Don’t forget to tell me how this works out for you and drag a comment, if you have any tips and recommendations. #workshop #facilitation #training #Strategy #innovation #india #USA