One of the key benefits of using ITK’s tools is to “get people in a room and talking.” But what if your team is not geographically collocated? That can make things difficult.

Dialing in remotely to a meeting where wall charts and whiteboards are used but not broadcast can be an extremely frustrating experience. It is so critical that the participants who are “remote” feel just as included in the discussion as the participants in the room. So if you find yourself in that situation, here are some recommendations for leading a successful remote working session.

  • Be respectful of different time zones and try to pick a time that works for all
  • Provide a clear agenda with time boxes and stick to it
  • Provide supporting materials and goals for the session in advance so folks can print out ahead of time
  • Have an experienced facilitator (perhaps someone not on the team)
  • Use tools  that capture all the ideas

We’ve got more tips and tricks on good facilitation coming in a future post – watch this space!

For an interesting experiment on remote facilitation, check out this article written by our very own Dan Ward: