I saw this question posted in a Facebook group I’m in:

“How can I lead a Zoom meeting right now when nobody is feeling ok?”

So many of us are feeling it.​

Yet another racist murder by police. Riots. The onslaught of news is horrific.

And then there’s the pandemic.

How can you possibly smile and move on?

Answer: you don’t.

Instead, be transparent.?​

Acknowledge what’s happening in the world and how it’s impacting you.

It may impact everyone in the room differently—acknowledge that, too.

Allow a moment for breathing, right at the start.?

Allow space in that moment for people to be less than ok.

You may wish to put on some calm music and invite folks to write in the chat 3 words they are feeling today.?

Most important, make it safe to be vulnerable by modeling your own vulnerability.

So much is in the tone you set. If you acknowledge up-front that you’re feeling off, because of what’s happening in the world, you validate for everyone else that it’s okay for them to feel off, too.​

It can feel scary, but it’s a relief for people when we give them space to acknowledge the full range of their feelings—to acknowledge their humanity.

And anytime we give space to the full range of people’s feelings and humanity, they’re more likely to come along with us.

​
Making It Real​

Whatever you’re doing in your meetings, classes or gatherings, you need people to come along with you. Making it real is step #1.

Of course, in the meetings and gatherings I lead, everything I do is with an eye to deepening connections and making it fun.

Because when it’s fun, people stay engaged, learn better, remember more, and just plain enjoy themselves more.

Right now, of course, everything’s happening on Zoom.​

The good news is, there’s so much you can do on Zoom to make it fun, engaging, and interactive!​

Come experience for yourself a whole range of what’s possible, in my live Non-Boring Virtual Meetings workshop, this Thursday, June 4, 9-11am PT / 12-2pm ET.

I’ll be teaching more facilitation tips, and a wide variety of interactive activities—both for breakout rooms, and for the main room—for groups of all sizes.​

These are FUN and ENGAGING activities that you can use:

• For transitions
• To shift or manage energy
• For deepening connections
• To achieve a purpose

And yes, all on the Zoom platform (and most of the activities are platform-agnostic, so they’ll work in other virtual meeting platforms, too).

If you’re sick and tired of Zoombutt…

If you’re sick and tired of people disengaging, checking out, and checking email in your virtual meetings…​

Come learn some activities and tips you can use IMMEDIATELY to make your next virtual meeting more engaging and non-boring.

​Click here to claim your spot now