Most audio and a few web conferencing tools enable the host to create multiple breakout sessions. Breakout rooms (aka Concurrent sessions, breakout session, etc.) are sub-rooms that can be used to split a large group into smaller groups that can talk and/or collaborate. Unfortunately, breakout rooms are underutilized despite their ability to increase meeting engagement. Managing breakout rooms can seem challenging at first. But they are very simple to set up and manage (with the right platform). If you plan accordingly, breakout rooms can help to increase your productivity by improving web meetings and audio conferences.
Here are a few ways you can plan to use breakout rooms to increase engagement during your next meeting; Use a breakout room to pre-meet with your speakers and/or facilitators while the attendees join the main meeting. This ensures you don’t confuse and bore your meeting attendees as they enter your meeting by briefing speakers, facilitators and/or meeting room managers in the main room. Pro Tip: Set up an introduction message and greeting music to entertain your entering participants as you go over final details in a breakout room. Here’s one way you can do two things at once! There might be items on your meeting agenda that are not applicable to everyone at the meeting. If this is the case, you can place them in a breakout room to work on another project, task or problem. Case in Point – Let’s say your meeting is about an upcoming event. Most of the meeting involves your entire team but, when it comes to discussing the budget, 2/3rds of your team doesn’t need to be in the loop. Set up a breakout room for those people, who would otherwise be bored, to brainstorm ways you can get media attention with the event. Go over the PR ideas after you are finished discussing the budget. People tend drift off in large staff meetings. Even in person, it’s tough to hold the attention of a big room of people. The problem is even worst on audio and web conferences. But, you can increase accountability and employee engagement with the promise of a breakout session. Here’s how: Step 1: Tell your staff at the beginning of the meeting that they will be required to use the information given in the main meeting to contribute to a discussion or group task in smaller group breakout sessions. Step 2: Let them know that you will be popping into each group session to see how things are going. This upfront announcement is important because it sets expectations. Immediately you’ll see attention and engagement increase. No longer can they hide in the crowd, protected behind their computer screens in a far off city. They are now accountable to their supervisors and their peers for knowing the content of the meeting. Those are just a few ways you can use breakout rooms to increase meeting engagement. When used properly, breakout rooms can be extremely beneficial. Be sure to plan ahead before you implement any of these ideas. Make sure both your web and audio conferencing providers allow for breakout sessions and make sure you are familiar with how they work. Otherwise, you may cause more ciaos and decrease productivity. We’ve created a step by step guide to help you have successful breakout sessions. Give it a try!
Simple ways to increase meeting engagement
Set up a “Speaker Ready Room”
Use Time More Effectively
Increase Accountability in Large Staff Meetings
How do you use breakout rooms? Please share your ideas below.
