6 Tips for having an insightful group discussion in a large Zoom session (thread).

From the BASB Alumni Mentors.

1. Think twice about how you phrase questions.

“Does anyone have a good example?” (What's a good example?)

vs.

“Does anyone have an example that worked for them?"

2. Ask people to raise their hands via the participant panel. Then call someone out to avoid people cutting each other off when trying to answer a question.

3. Give people an estimate of how long they can speak for (1-2 min) to avoid overly long answers.

4. Encourage people who haven’t participated yet to speak up.

Prioritize someone who usually doesn’t participate when they’ve raised their hand.

And look out for a gender balance in speakers.

5. If no one wants to speak up:

Ask participants to write their answers in the chat, then pick someone to expand on their answer.

Answer the question yourself or name how you’re feeling to create a safe space. People understand what’s “allowed” to be said.

6. Acknowledge all comments, especially vulnerable ones.

Mirror what the other person said to clarify their point.