There’s no question that virtual meetings have made workplace communications easier. Not only are virtual meetings easier to arrange and attend (just count how many more Zoom meetings you have now compared to live meetings you had then), but features like chat, Q&A, breakout rooms, reaction icons, virtual whiteboards, and a range of apps have made it easier than ever to ask questions and request ideas from meeting attendees.
How to Get People to Speak Up in Virtual Meetings
Be specific about what you’re asking for — or you’ll keep getting crickets.
January 10, 2022
HBR Staff/Antti Heikkinen/Getty Images
Summary.
How do you ask for ideas or feedback during a virtual meeting in a way that returns valuable answers (and not just from the usual extroverts)? Thankfully, virtual meetings give you more tools to overcome that obstacle, with features such as chat, Q&A, breakout rooms, reaction icons, virtual whiteboards, and a range of apps that have made it easier than ever to ask questions and request ideas from meeting attendees. This article covers eight tactics for getting responses from even the most mute-happy meeting members.