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One of the major challenges of online meetings is that participants aren’t always as invested as they should be in the discussion. There are a few ways to increase engagement: Encourage active listening, share notes, gamification, and social bonding. These tips will help you create an online meeting that is more enjoyable for both participants and viewers.

Encourage active listening

The host of an online meeting often sets the stage by setting the tone and content for the meeting. This can lead to misunderstandings or miscommunications. The best way to ensure everyone understands what is being said is to encourage active listening. Active listening involves paying attention to the speaker’s tone, inflection, volume, and other cues. This skill will help you understand the speaker’s intentions and convey a more nuanced understanding.

The key to active listening is to listen without distractions. Use nonverbal cues to signal your interest in what the speaker is saying, such as leaning slightly forward or sideways. Some listeners even rest their head on one hand, showing they are fully engaged. Other ways to indicate active listening include nodding, smiling, and thumbs-ups.

Active listening is essential for building trust and fostering empathy. Using active listening in meetings shows the other person that you understand what they’re saying. It also ensures that everyone is accountable for listening. You can practice active listening by taking notes during meetings. It not only shows the other person that you’re paying attention, but it also helps you paraphrase what they’ve said.

Encourage sharing notes

One great way to engage your team members during an online meeting is to encourage them to take notes during the meeting. This will help standardize the meeting notes and make follow-ups much easier. It will also keep everyone in the loop. This is especially important if you have a large team. You can use chat programs like Slack to share notes during your meetings. This way, everyone can follow up immediately and have context for future meetings.

Creating a shared digital document is a great way to make sure everyone in the meeting has a record of the meeting and stays focused. You can also use collaborative tools such as Google Keep or Evernote. These tools are easy to use and can be shared instantly. They can help participants recall important details and make better decisions.

Encouraging everyone to participate is essential. By inviting everyone to participate and share notes, you can create a positive atmosphere and encourage collaboration. Using body language is a good way to make people feel included. If you sit up straight, you show that you are willing to listen and are open to different perspectives. If you smile at the speaker, you also set a positive example.

Encourage gamification

One great way to boost engagement at meetings is to encourage gamification. Gamification involves using elements of game play to make more mundane tasks more interesting. Its main principles revolve around instant gratification, rewarding small tasks, and providing constant feedback. It can also be used to create levels of competition, giving attendees a reason to stay engaged.

Gamification works by integrating game elements into non-game environments to boost engagement and make participants feel like they are part of something bigger. The constant distractions people face when attending virtual events can make it difficult to keep focused, but gamification can help to tease out the competitive spirit of attendees. This, in turn, can create a more positive environment.

Adding gamification can be as simple as providing virtual passports, where attendees can stamp their passports for each exhibit or session they attend. The points earned from these stamps can be exchanged for prizes or VIP access. However, it is important to make sure the rewards are worthwhile.

Encourage social bonding

To increase social bonding in an online meeting, you need to find ways to create opportunities for virtual interaction. The internet is a highly social place, and it lends itself to mixing and mingling. You may need to be creative in order to do this, but there are some fun ways to foster a social environment in an online meeting.

One great way to foster social bonding is to incorporate virtual morale activities. These can help team bonding while providing mental breaks for the team. They also promote productivity. Try incorporating these activities into your team’s process as much as possible. Here are some ideas:: Try incorporating video calls to introduce a pet to your team. It’s especially fun if you can find unusual pets, but even common household pets are welcome.