The Collective Virtual Meeting format
A method for more engaging and collaborative virtual meetings
What is it?
A method that incorporate everyone’s ideas and opinions in the meeting, not just those of a few presenters.
A method that shifts the dynamic from “informing an audience” to gathering, synthesizing and evaluating the ideas of all the participants
A way to reach convergence: By involving everyone in the conversation, it forges group-wide direction and preferences.
A method that incorporate everyone’s ideas and opinions in the meeting, not just those of a few presenters.
A method that shifts the dynamic from “informing an audience” to gathering, synthesizing and evaluating the ideas of all the participants
A way to reach convergence: By involving everyone in the conversation, it forges group-wide direction and preferences.
How does it work?
When you have 50 - 500 people in a virtual meeting - either by phone or video, it is impossible for everyone to have their say in one big, open conversation. This method uses a flow back and forth between virtual small group breakouts and the virtual plenary
- to give everyone in the meeting a chance to engage in the discussions
- to discover the collective direction and actions for the combined group
- to capture a myriad of practical details for getting it done
Topics are explored by the participants – not just by presenters
The critical topics of the meeting are discussed by the participants in small “virtual table groups” of 4 – 5 people.
Their discussion is focused by a specific question about some aspect of the topic (an aspect that the participants are in the position to know more about than the conveners)
As they discuss the question, they record their key ideas and recommendations – using a “virtual flip chart”
Their ideas are brought to the plenary – not the ideas of the presenters
While the virtual table groups are having their conversations, a small team is reading through all of the virtual flip charts – to see what common ideas and themes are being generated
When the whole group comes back together, these common themes are shared with everyone
If the presenters comment on ideas, or bring up new considerations, they do it in response to the group’s ideas
The best ideas – from those the group has generated – are selected and prioritized by the group as a whole
Everyone can see what ideas, actions, directions the group has generated
Everyone can vote to select which of those ideas or actions they feel are most critical in the current time frame, so that a collective priority can emerge
All participants feel ownership of what has been generated and prioritized
By working in the small groups, everyone on the phone/video platform is able to participate in the discussion. And by parallel-processing the input from those small groups in real-time, the resulting ideas and plans reflect the contribution of everyone in the virtual meeting.
When you have 50 - 500 people in a virtual meeting - either by phone or video, it is impossible for everyone to have their say in one big, open conversation. This method uses a flow back and forth between virtual small group breakouts and the virtual plenary
- to give everyone in the meeting a chance to engage in the discussions
- to discover the collective direction and actions for the combined group
- to capture a myriad of practical details for getting it done
Topics are explored by the participants – not just by presenters
The critical topics of the meeting are discussed by the participants in small “virtual table groups” of 4 – 5 people.
Their discussion is focused by a specific question about some aspect of the topic (an aspect that the participants are in the position to know more about than the conveners)
As they discuss the question, they record their key ideas and recommendations – using a “virtual flip chart”
Their ideas are brought to the plenary – not the ideas of the presenters
While the virtual table groups are having their conversations, a small team is reading through all of the virtual flip charts – to see what common ideas and themes are being generated
When the whole group comes back together, these common themes are shared with everyone
If the presenters comment on ideas, or bring up new considerations, they do it in response to the group’s ideas
The best ideas – from those the group has generated – are selected and prioritized by the group as a whole
Everyone can see what ideas, actions, directions the group has generated
Everyone can vote to select which of those ideas or actions they feel are most critical in the current time frame, so that a collective priority can emerge
All participants feel ownership of what has been generated and prioritized
By working in the small groups, everyone on the phone/video platform is able to participate in the discussion. And by parallel-processing the input from those small groups in real-time, the resulting ideas and plans reflect the contribution of everyone in the virtual meeting.
Why go to the effort to include everyone’s voice?
In order to:
unite people together in a movement
engage them and get them to collaborate on creating results
help them to discover the unique strategies and actions that will enable this group to accomplish what it is setting out to do
encourage each individual to feel and be part of the whole
respect the time, energy and experience of each person – and use that to design collective action for the whole
In order to:
unite people together in a movement
engage them and get them to collaborate on creating results
help them to discover the unique strategies and actions that will enable this group to accomplish what it is setting out to do
encourage each individual to feel and be part of the whole
respect the time, energy and experience of each person – and use that to design collective action for the whole
