Online Meeting Guides

Introduction

Get the most out of your online meetings with these facilitation tips, how-to guides, help with tools, and tips for working from home. Check out these guides to help you get the most out of your meetings.

Facilitation Tips

Many of the principles of face-to-face facilitation apply in online meetings, with particular considerations around increasing engagement, ensuring all voices are heard, and navigating technical barriers.

• Getting Started with Online Training and Facilitation – Jeanne Rewa
• Facilitating online meetings – Daniel Hunter, 350.org
• Leading Groups Online: A down-and-dirty guide to leading online courses, meetings, trainings, and events during the coronavirus pandemic (Downloadable pdf booklet) – Jeanne Rewa and Daniel Hunter
• How to have online inclusive meetings – Fee Plumley
• Facilitating Hybrid Groups Online – Training for Change
• How To Facilitate Effective Virtual Meetings – Beth Kanter
• Are Your Zoom Meetings on Middle Class Standard Time? Running meetings that prioritise relationships and the energy of the group – Andrew Willis-Garcés
• Power Dynamics and Inclusion in Virtual Meetings – Evelyn Arellano

How-To Guides

These guides include both tech and facilitation tips.

• Zoom Meetings Host Guide – Australian Conservation Foundation. This clear guide produced to support ACF Community groups will help you set up and run an online meeting using Zoom.
• Tips for moving to online meetings for the first time – Helpful tips gathered by and for grassroots activists.
• Hosting virtual hybrid meetings – Blueprints for Change. This guide includes notes on roles, resources, sample agendas, tips and tricks.
• HUM: Double the engagement and productivity of your next online meeting – Jacinta Cubis
• Good practices for accessible virtual meetings – Accessible U

Slide Deck Template

• The Online Training Monster Manual – Daniel Hunter, 350. A comprehensive collection of training activities with interactive slides you can adapt for your group.

Help with Tools

• Digital tools to support effective meetings, training and conferences
• Zoom Help Guides and Video Tutorials
• Access Discounted Rates to Zoom Meetings Pro Plan Subscription – For eligible not-for-profits with DGR status via Connecting Up (Australia and New Zealand) or TechSoup (other countries).
• Miro online whiteboard integrates with Zoom and is accessible for screen readers
• The Beginners Guide to Google Docs – A Google Doc that meeting participants can access and add notes to can be a helpful addition to online meetings.
• Tips on Using Slack – Slack can help remote teams, or networks, stay in touch.

Accessibility

• Accessible Communications by El Gibbs
• Access is Love – Places to Start
• Resources from Ai-Media: Closed Captioning Guide Part 1

Icebreakers

• Icebreakers for Online Meetings That Introverts Will Love – Beth Kanter
• 5 Fun Icebreakers Perfect for Virtual Teams – Conceptboard
• Virtual Ice Breakers: Help Remote Teams Break the Ice – MindTools

Adjusting to Working from Home

• So you’re working from home now…– Chris Jensen, Raisely. Tips to help work go well and keep your team connected.
• Look Great in Your Next Webcam Video – Wistia
• How to manage your mental health during self-isolation (The Independent) and Looking after your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak (Beyond Blue)

I want more!

• A bumper collection of Resources for Online Meetings, Classes, and Events – An evolving Google doc collated by Facilitators for Pandemic Response group.
• Mass organising calls and webinars – Tips for using large scale conference calls and webinars to mobilise supporters and scale up action.
• What You Should Know About Digital Privacy and Security During the COVID-19 Crisis – Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Digital Campaigning: Start Here – Plenty more links for creating change using online tools.

Something to add or noticed a gap? Contact the Commons Librarians.