Workshops should bring people together. Remote workshops should make it even easier for participants to join no matter where they are in the world.
But sometimes, remote workshops make communication harder. Without the natural flow of face-to-face conversation, many of us struggle to stay engaged and be understood. There's definitely something lost in translation when we don't get to "feel the air" of the on-going conversation.
I notice two main problems with communication in remote workshops.
- Poor video quality blurs facial expressions and subtle gestures. This makes it harder to follow conversations. For people who rely on visual cues, like me, this can leave them guessing at meaning. Even with good video though, screens flatten natural interactions. A nod and raised eyebrow that would clarify things in person often go unseen online.
- Zoom fatigue is real. Staring at a screen and managing home distractions all drain mental energy. For neurodivergent participants, this exhaustion can make it impossible to stay focused for long sessions. Background noise, interruptions and the pressure to always be "on camera" add extra stress.
Since I mostly run remote workshops, I often come across these challenges. I now have a few tricks up my sleeve to make remote discussion clearer and more inclusive.
How to make video work for everyone
I usually encourage, but don't enforce, cameras to be always on. Take a break from video if you need it.
When they are on camera though, I ask people to be in a location where their faces are clear and out of shadows. I may ask them to change the angle of their screen or their location entirely.
Raised eye-brows and gentle nods are easily missed. But a thumbs-up or a hand-raise will not. So we use gestures deliberately in a remote setting.
How to reduce fatigue
I favour shorter sessions with breaks in between, rather than sitting on camera for hours on end. During the breaks, I encourage people to move around if they can. I also lead quick breaks with stretching exercises for anyone who wants to do them.
How to reduce distractions
I encourage people to be alone in the room for the duration of the workshop. If that's not possible, noise-cancelling headphones work wonders.
I've put up "do not disturb" signs on my office door at times as well, since I'm not immune to outside distractions. And since my dog cannot read (joke), I shut the door.
At times, nothing will work and you can't help but be disturbed. In this case, it's okay to step away from the camera to prevent your distraction becoming our distraction. You can also turn off your camera and microphone and continue communication over chat.
Here's the thing.
When I started out, remote workshops were awkward. Not being able to feel the atmosphere, missing non-verbal cues, always paying attention to everyone for long periods of time. After a workshop, I felt exhausted.
Once I started tweaking how I used video, pacing sessions better and giving people the freedom to participate in different ways, I started to create more interactive sessions that work better for everyone.
Keeping sessions interactive is important. But not if you overwhelm participants. You need to also balance dominant voices with quieter participants and handle those inevitable technical hiccups that can derail remote workshops.
We'll talk about these facilitation barriers next time.