type in the chat

Skilled facilitators offer participants many different ways to engage with a topic. Not everyone comes to a meeting or focus group ready to give it their full participation. This is especially true in virtual meetings where it's easier for folks to disengage. I try to help people find ways to share even if they can't or don't want to speak up.

I try to incorporate the meeting's chat window whenever I'm planning an agenda. All the major conferencing platforms offer some kind of text-based interaction. It doesn't usually take much training to ask folks to use it. We also don't need to install special tools or third-party apps to get it to work. Some people already use the chat for comments or side conversations they don't want to say out loud. Others will drop links or references to what they're describing out loud. I usually paste my questions into the chat even when I want a verbal response. This gives folks a chance to read the prompt if they didn't catch it when I asked it out loud.

The chat box is an easy way to engage participants on a topic. Here are a few approaches that I like to use.

waterfall

I learned this one from consultant and coach Kris McRae. She hosts a semi-monthly mostly-virtual gathering called Puget Sound Nonprofit Consultants Coffee. This is a space for us solo or small-business consultants to network and socialize. Every meeting begins with introductions, but with a twist. She writes out the prompt in the chat, we all type our responses into the text box--but we don't hit send. When everyone is ready, we all press Enter at the same time. Everyone takes a minute to read through the responses before we move into our discussion for the day.

In most chat-based introductions, I tend to speed-type my answers so I am free to read the messages flying by. With the waterfall method, we all get time to contribute and can still read what others wrote. I use this approach for questions outside the introduction, too. Once everyone's responded, I can read a few answers aloud to the group. I might ask the writer of a response if they're willing to come off mute and elaborate. Or I'll ask the group to read through each other's replies and say aloud or add emojis to ones they identify with.

stack

I learned about the word "stack" from an AORTA facilitation training. It's a term that seems to have originated in democratic decision-making circles. It's useful when identifying volunteers to read slides or take part in an activity. I'll say something like, "I need two volunteers to act out this conversation on screen." People then volunteer by writing "stack" in the chat.

Some groups find this to be a less confrontational way to ask for volunteers. Groups that hesitate to speak up may spend precious minutes waiting for a volunteer. Raising a hand or unmuting feels like interrupting to some people. "Stack" is also a way to assign a speaking order without having everyone unmute at once.

gathering themes

It's a constant challenge to get people to engage and, even better, speak up. Facilitators are in the business of wanting to know what participants think. But deep thinking in the moment can be hard for people, especially in a contrived virtual setting. We can't prepare for all the possibilities people might be thinking about. What people think also changes over time the longer they sit with something. AORTA describes active participation like a ramp, where thinking is at the top. People can name their feelings faster than they can describe what they're thinking. And people can make observations faster than they can describe how they feel.

So what do people observe? How do they feel? I often find word cloud software to be a little overengineered for this purpose. I can use the chat to get a general sense of how people are feeling. I could try a likert scale: "on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being 'I get it' and 1 being 'I'm completely lost,' where would you put yourself?" Or, "what are three words you'd use to describe what you're feeling about this topic?" Another: "What do you notice about the passage or picture on screen? In the chat, share one word or phrase that stands out to you." These prompts help facilitators to get a general sense of the room with one short question. New ideas may spark as participants, too, scroll the chat to read what others felt or noticed.

closing thoughts

Using a meeting room's chat function isn't perfect. The chat isn't universally accessible. People who don't have a keyboard (say, on the phone or participating in a conference room) can't type in. People with disabilities or who have difficulty typing can also feel left out.

With these in mind, I offer people different ways to share their feedback. I can introduce how I'm planning to use the chat and ask if anyone needs an alternative. I can ask them to raise their hand to speak, invite them to come off mute during the meeting, or find a way that works for them. And even if everyone can interact with the chat, I still summarize what people are writing. The chat, especially in meetings with hundreds of users, can be enough to overwhelm anyone.

It's my job as a facilitator to help create meaning from what people share. The best way I can do that is by showing folks that I'm willing to go above and beyond to learn what they have to say.