(Here Are 9 Zoom Upgrades)
Ask your attendees…
Q. “Know how to download Zoom?” ✅
Q. “Watched the YL video tutorial to up your zoom game?” (YL Zoom Tutorial) ✅
Q. “Become a master of the Breakout room, reaction graphics, and polling questions?” ✅
Q. “You can monitor the chat feature like a champ and can mute others at will?” ✅
So, you can send an invite and people attend (mostly) but the engagement seems to be...well...modest. If so, you may be ready to put some thought on how to add some Vroom to your Zoom call.
The shear shift from attendance to participation may be harder to come by in recent weeks because of what has been commonly called ‘zoom fatigue.’ To go to the next level from participation to engagement may be even more challenging. The list below has come from over 25 Young Life US Regions as they have initiated zoom calls for their staff and volunteer Committee members. Although it is not exhaustive it may be a good place to start. Try a few of the ideas below and let us know how it goes.
Going from...PARTICIPATION to ATTENDANCE to ENGAGEMENT
9 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR ZOOM CALLS A ‘NOT TO BE MISSED’ EVENT
SET A STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE not PERFECTION: Do the first things first and put in the work to make the call excellent. Make sure you have communicated clearly and timely. The call agenda is prepared, professional, and concise. Any necessary pre/post information/work has been communicated and subject matter experts and your team are ready to go. Your work is not in vain, because good preparation fosters healthy engagement. Bottom line: Do your best to think through every detail.
MODELING: Enthusiasm around calls that we facilitate can wane because we aren’t that excited ourselves. No one needs to spend an hour on another conference call unless it is helpful, lifegiving, and serves its designed purpose. If you are truly excited about what you are discussing, then model that engagement in your preparation and delivery. Bottom line: Convince yourself of the value of the call first.
IS THIS AN EXPECTATION?: Many things are optional in YL and that may be needed. However, as you choose the ‘hills to die on’ maybe these calls are part of an expectation of ‘on boarding’ of a role. Also, allow for attendees to assign a ‘proxy’ as their representative if possible. This will help broaden ownership and provide some flexibility. Bottom line: Establish the understanding that attendance is an expectation for all participants.
CONTACT WORK: Simply, high engagement on a regular recurring zoom call will require contact work. People may show up once or twice out of curiosity but will stay because of the relationship. Do some contact work (in between calls) and watch the engagement shift. There are no shortcuts. Bottom line: The content of the call will be helpful but the relationships will win them over.
BROAD OWNERSHIP: Think strategically on how you can involve others on your team. Not all will facilitate, present, or get ‘air time’ but if the ownership is wider than yourself then the engagement will grow. Ultimately the call will be better for it and will start to be ‘our thing’ not ‘your thing’ Bottom line: Do it as a team
MAKE A DECISION: If your calls are significant gatherings where input is requested, decisions are made, and initiatives launched, then you will see a noticeable up-tick in engagement. Ownership can flourish through simple methods because if the opportunity to be heard presents itself- people come running. Bottom line: Make 1 decision or provide an avenue for input on each call you host.
INCENTIVISE: Who doesn’t love FREE stuff?? Camp Scholarship, a dinner, a prize or recognition are not just tactics for engagement, they are a way of keeping the room's attention and having some fun while doing it. Bottom line, Surprise and Spoil your attendees. It will be well worth the cost!
WE COMMIT TO WHAT WE CREATE: Glean input on topics to discuss and involve others in big and small ways. If I helped create a discussion, then I am showing up invested and engaged. Bottom line: If you can establish that those on the call will be asked to give their own thoughts and perspective then they will be more inclined to ‘lean in’ on each call.
CULTURE TAKES TIME: Celebrate small successes and incremental movements of the needle. Oftentimes change will take time and have some bumps along the way. Attendance may ebb and flow and some of the participants on the call may not even be aware of this new expectation. That is ok, stay the course and don’t give up. Bottom Line: Keep working, engaging, and staying faithful to the principles you had regarding the need for this resource and win over hearts and minds over time. Change is slow.
Written by: Ken Tankersley