10 Ways to Improve Your Zoom Participants Experience

There is no stronger trend over the last year than online meetings (Zoom stock is up almost 500%). Despite days spent in online meetings, there is still a lot to learn. What follows are ten lessons learned about online meetings and trainings:

1.     Don’t forget to look at the camera. Unfortunately, most of us look at the screen so we can see others but forget to look at the camera so they can see us. Remember that both are important.

2.     Lighting matters. Avoid back lighting and try to have a soft light in front of you.

3.     Encourage everyone to keep their videos on. While sometimes bandwidth is an issue—or people don’t want you to see them with salad in their teeth—generally meetings go better if videos are on.  Make this a group norm.

4.     Have a hot-spot backup in case your internet connection is glitchy.

5.     Request that participants download the latest version of the platforms. Zoom is constantly coming out with updates that include new features—like allowing participants choose their own breakout rooms (rather than be assigned).

6.     Use breakout rooms frequently to promote engagement.

7.     Use the MVP rule: Minimally Viable PowerPoint. PowerPoint is rarely engaging. Engagement is even more important when working from a distance. 

8.     To combat Zoom fatigue:

a.     Take more frequent breaks

b.     Keep meetings short by expanding pre-meeting work

c.      Encourage toggling between gallery and speaker views

9.     Consider interactive engagement platforms to compliment Zoom or Teams. Personally, I love Mentimeter and use Google Slides at times to facilitate group planning. Zoom’s whiteboard also allows some interactive features.

10. Have a backup facilitator ready to take over in case you lose your connection.

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