Online meetups are slightly different beasts than real-life events. Share these tips with your community to have your online meetup off for a great start!
Practical points
- Mute your mike when you’re not speaking.
- When you want to make a contribution, raise your hand or wait for an opportunity to speak.
Online meetups: extra awareness
When online, we miss a lot of non-verbal cues that we usually have available, so natural turn-taking can be a bit awkward. Be extra aware of whether another person has actually finished speaking before you start. If not sure, ask for confirmation.
Active listening and asking questions
Active listening and asking questions are great ways to deepen a conversation:
- Ask yourself: ‘Do I truly understand what the other person is saying? If not, what kind of questions could I ask her to make her elaborate?’
- Ask yourself: ‘What can I bring to this discussion? Which perspectives can I open that contribute in making this discussion even more valuable?’
- Ask yourself: ‘Do I really need to take this turn, raise this topic, or make this point now? Is this the right time to do so? Or can we elaborate on the topic under discussion?
- Ask yourself: ‘Can I ask a question, rather than make a statement?’