Tips to Boost Attendee Engagement

Many of us have experienced this: We give a presentation and when we are done, we open it up for questions. Moments of awkward silence follow. Eventually, a few questions trickle in. Embarrassment avoided. But we know: active audience engagement looks different. Much of my work with clients revolves around designing engaging, highly interactive workshops, trainings, panel discussions, and presentations. I just stumbled upon a short article by Joe Murphy, CCEP (see link), sharing an effective technique he uses to get participants involved during presentations or trainings. The beauty of it: It is very easy to apply, doesn’t require props of any kind, and suitable both for in-person and virtual settings. The technique in brief: 1) After a short introduction of yourself and your topic, ask participants to turn to a neighbor or two. Ask them to introduce themselves and share what they hope to get out of this session. 2) As you finish your presentation and move into the discussion part, ask participants again to turn to a neighbor and discuss: What was presented that you have questions about? What is your perspective on the topic? 3) After a few minutes, harvest discussion topics from the group. Why is this simple technique effective? 1) The presentation becomes more user-centered. It allows the presenter to be responsive to the interests of the audience and conveys to the audience that they and their perspectives are valued. 2) The exercise loosens participants’ tongue. As they speak to each other, they rehearse what they have to say, boosting their confidence to speak up in the larger audience. 3) People are much more satisfied with a session where they were able to contribute and felt heard. The best techniques are sometimes very simple. I hope you will find Joe’s technique as useful as I did. I am curious to hear: What techniques can you recommend for designing more engaging sessions? Please share in the comments. #facilitation #uxdesign #ethicsandcompliance https://lnkd.in/eivNaqZB

Here are 12 free tips to get more participation in your next training session You're asked to deliver a training but are anxious about a face full of stares and nooooooooooooobody talking. You can likely almost feel the sweat forming already. Here's a laundry list of ideas that will get your participants engaged and participating in your session. Pick and choose the ones that make sense for your material. ✅ Push as much housekeeping as possible to pre-class communications so you get to audience participation as quickly as possible ✅ Have participants interview each other for intros - prompt them to ask one specific question related to topic ✅ Plot-twist: have interview partners from above introduce the other person - just don't tell them this until after they've chatted ✅ Ask what specific skills or ideas they are hoping to learn/take away from the class - have everybody share ✅ Ask what is the biggest frustration the audience has with the topic - let them share without responding ✅ After you explain the agenda ask them to write down 3 to 5 specific ways this material will help, make their roles more effective, etc - debrief & discuss ✅ Launch a game/activity/hands-on skills demonstration as close to start of session as possible ✅ Ask audience "when is the last time you did (thing related to topic)? How did it go" ✅ Lean heavily into Socratic delivery ✅ If participants don't answer right away, take a reaaaaaalllly long sip of your coffee/beverage - let the silence prompt someone to speak ✅ If someone asks a question reply with "if you had to guess....." and prompt them to attempt answering ✅ If someone asks a question turn to the group and ask, "what do you all think about this"? Bonus 13th tip: Tell them their experiences and thoughts have value and they're expected to participate Which one of these interested you most? What would you add?

“Engagement is the key to unlocking the full potential of your college experience. In the classroom, interaction and participation are not just requirements; they are pathways to deeper understanding, collaboration, and personal growth.” ✍️ Students (from other classes) often tell me that they have never had an interaction class in their life. Last week, I hosted a friendly competition in my Introduction to Computer Science I & II classes with 5 teams consisting 5-6 students competing against each other to write code on the whiteboard🤺 To my surprise, students ranging from the most boisterous to most shy all ran to the board to gain points for their team. Ties were settle in a 1 on 1 single round Rock, Paper Scissors match in front of the class which caused several uproars when the shyest of students bested their opponents 🪨📃✂️😂. Yelling switch every couple seconds forcing students to explain their thought process, existing code while reiterating the problem as quickly as possible to best other teams 🏆 It was absolutely amazing! 🤩 The laughs, the incentives, loopholes, etc., was so engrossing that students from other classes came in and wanted to participated (which I allowed) and it caused healthy chaos, rivalry, and fostered dire teamwork 🤝🥳 Now, you may ask why do this in college classes. Well, after 2.5 years of COVID-19 quarantining restrictions, the notions of active interaction and participation were taken away—crucial factors to develop necessary soft skills. Active participation fosters a dynamic learning environment where ideas are exchanged, perspectives are broadened, and critical thinking skills are honed. It allows you to connect with classmates and professors, building a network that can support you throughout your academic and professional journey. I hope to keep fostering inclusive and immersive environments for students moving forward ✨ Don’t underestimate the power of your voice in the classroom. Your insights and contributions are valuable, not just to your own learning but to the learning of others around you. So, raise your hand, ask questions, share your thoughts, and embrace the opportunity to engage fully in your college education. Your future self will thank you for it 💫 PS: I know you all said to tag you if I made a LinkedIn post but there were over 50 students that participated in this activity, and that’s a lot of tagging 😅 so maybe another time! #Engagement #ClassroomParticipation #CollegeExperience

Sitting through another online event, nodding along, but not really feeling engaged? I just experienced this feeling last week in an online webinar. There has been trouble with tech, which consumed a lot of time, there was little interaction with the participants, and the wasn’t quite built for everyone in the room. I left feeling disappointed and unmotivated. I've been moderating events, facilitating workshops, and giving trainings now for over 20 years. In this time, I’ve learned that truly engaging and great events are rare. The good part: it is a skill that people can learn. Three takeaways that I share with folks who are just starting out or for those with more experience who could also need a check-in from time to time are the following: Preparation is key. Always keep the audience in mind. And, offer various ways to learn. Preparation: With the goal and purpose in mind you should design the event. From opening with welcoming, sharing the agenda and rules of engagement to delivering the content to closing with a summary and feedback. Do several dry runs, meaning that you go through your whole program without audience or maybe with colleagues who can give constructive feedback. Also consider which tech will be used and test it before using it. Audience: The event is not for you; it’s for the audience. What do you know about the people who are attending? Do the participants know each other? Which questions could you ask to learn about their expectations, needs, and knowledge? You can do that, i.e,. through polls, surveys, or discussions. Be flexible and don’t be scared to adjust the agenda if needed, and communicate why you are doing what you are doing. There have been so many times that I was a participant and I couldn’t follow the instructions, or I didn’t understand what was asked of me. Learning: People learn differently. By offering various ways to learn, engage, and participate, everyone in the room has a chance to achieve the set objectives. It might be useful to make learning and reflection materials accessible prior to, during, and after the event. Some people prefer working alone while others prefer working in groups. Some need to hear, others need to read content. Don't just think about what you like, but educate yourself about what people with different ways of thinking need. And let me be clear. You'll never please everyone in the room. That’s okay. But by following the above-mentioned tips, you can get pretty close. And remember, there is help out there - hello Ellen and team 👋🏾 What is important to you in virtual spaces? What have been good or bad experiences? Do you need help in creating more engaging and inclusive events? Send me a DM. #Facilitation #Workshops #Training #Virtual #SaferSpaces ALT- Text in the comments.

Facilitation is a skill that you can learn through trainings, but you only improve through practice. Here are the 6 biggest things I’ve learned over the past 4 years 💠Tip 1: People are more likely to share honest feedback if you make space for a range of emotions, rather than only positive emotions. 💠Tip 2: Making space to talk about frustrations and challenges helps us better understand the underlying issues (and builds trust!). With good facilitation, that leads to productive discussions, not a chance to complain. 💠Tip 3: People often take awhile to surface that they actually think. Give them time to process and fully and effectively verbalize their thoughts and recommendations. 💠Tip 4: Erring on the side of being more inclusive has the potential to help identify more creative solutions. People have been more likely to surprise me with good insights than from saying "stupid" things. 💠Tip 5: When you as the facilitator offer ideas, frame them with, “We’re still in the brainstorming phase. I’m going to throw out an idea as a starting point, and I expect some of you will disagree.” --- > This matters because as facilitators, we often are hired as subject matter experts as well. Our role can bias the process when we make suggestions, so we have to be careful of how we frame them. 💠Tip 6: Avoid presentations. This is quite tricky because sometimes we need to present key data points, so that everyone is on the same page around the facts of the situation. If you do need to present information, consider: -       Sending out pre-reading materials to review before the session -       Keeping presentations to 5-minute intervals, with pauses for questions and activities in between -       If it’s about developing shared definitions, instead of doing a training, consider including the team in collaboratively developing a shared definition. Any favorite facilitation tips that I missed? 🤔 Feel free to share. #strategicplanning #stakeholderengagement #focusgroup #focusgroups #collaboration #trust #DEI #economicsresearch #socialscience #impactassessment #monitoringandevaluation

Building a Positive Classroom: Management & Engagement Strategies 🌟 Great classroom management and student engagement start with clear routines—and a little creativity! Here are three strategies that consistently help teachers create a supportive and focused learning space: Structured Routines: Start every lesson with a quick agenda and model expectations (“I do, we do, you do”). Predictable routines set students up for success and lower anxiety about what’s next. Student Participation: Use icebreaker questions, group work, and varied response formats to keep everyone involved. A simple thumbs up, poll, or brief discussion can spark more voices, especially in online or quieter classrooms. Handling Challenges: When tough behaviors arise, try using positive redirection and consistent consequences. Reflect briefly with students, offer choices, and circle back to expectations—always focusing on growth rather than the mistake. Every classroom has ups and downs, but with intentional routines and opportunities for participation, students and teachers both have room to learn and grow. How do you build routines or boost participation in your classroom? Share your favorite strategy or success story—let’s support each other’s teaching journeys! #ClassroomManagement #StudentEngagement #TeachingStrategies #EducationCommunity