Where I live, it is becoming increasingly possible for people to meet in person.
And my stress level is rising.
Not so much because of COVID risk, but because uncertainty is stressful. And higher stress means lower adaptability. Hear the paradox? So I’m digging into the source of the stress, and it’s because people are shifting gears on short notice. Forewarned is forearmed.
As a facilitator, I want collaborative sessions to be both effective and inclusive.
“Effective” would usually have everyone participating the same way (i.e. digitally or in-person) and we’d know in advance which it was going to be.
“Inclusive” would usually have everyone participating in the way that is best for them on that day. Snowstorm? COVID exposure? No problem – just call in.
Hybrid sessions, if done well, can resolve that paradox, in theory.
In practice, they seem to be sitting about here:
Even if people call in, they don’t feel truly included because in-person is still treated as the preference or the default, and everyone’s experience quality suffers.
One pathway through ambiguity is to be clear about what we know for sure. And as Brené Brown says, “Clear is kind.”
So, let’s be both clear and kind about how meetings are going to run. It seems inevitable that not everyone will attend our “in-person” meetings right now. It’s up to the host to determine how to handle that inevitability. If that’s you, then choose if you will:
a) Stay fully digital.
b) Plan for hybrid.
c) Struggle through hybrid at the last minute.
d) Conduct the meeting only in-person and catch absent group members up at a later time.
People are resisting a) because they are very tired of digital. Excellent hybrid is difficult and many of my clients don’t think about how much planning it requires, so they don’t do b). Which lands them in c). It looks like this, and feels awkward for everyone:
If you opt for d), inclusion and effectiveness sit here in real time:
But they move closer to this if you are willing to catch people up thoroughly later. Both are achieved, just over a longer time frame:
I’ve experienced this as a participant. Having been a “distance student” from Canada pre-COVID in a program taking place in Australia, I knew my digital participation was an add-on — a poor facsimile of the in-person quality, but better than nothing for me as it allowed me to be there at all. I was included, but barely. During COVID, that same program became truly global and fully digital. Inclusion soared and equity in the quality of the experience grew. (An improvement for me, but likely a net loss for those used to the previous in-person gatherings). Fast forward to a faculty retreat event they are hosting in-person in New Zealand in May 2022. I have the option to hop on a plane. But in order to ensure an outstanding experience for those attending, there is no digital option. And although I will have FOMO, I am fine with that because the nature of the event has been made clear from the start. It sits here and that’s ok:
So, get your script ready, either in advance or when people let you know they won’t be there. (And if you are an outside facilitator, encourage this behaviour from your client).
If you want a fully in-person event, you will lose people. Gently let that happen by indicating that digital participation is not being accommodated synchronously. If you want everyone involved and things to go predictably and smoothly, stick with digital. If it feels critical to have at least some of your team together in person, plan for hybrid. Don’t fumble with hybrid at the last minute because you were caught off guard. Clear is kind.