Leading Virtual Sessions

Introduction
Project management relies heavily on teams, and teams need to communicate and share project information and techniques. Colocation is a great approach with many efficiencies, but the strategy is not always practical. Virtual teams and remote sessions to accomplish meeting objectives or updates on team subject matter are becoming the norm. If a project manager’s number one skill is communications, then it follows that project managers should also be adept at leading virtual sessions.

There are many reasons to hold meetings, live-leader presentations, or team sessions using an online, virtual session application to host such an event. Many tools exist—some free—with similar capabilities; this discussion will not delve into the pros and cons of various applications. The goal of this article is to review the features of the virtual session as well as techniques in using them to make the virtual session experience as close to a live, face-to-face experience as possible. Engaging team members in the session is not just about eliciting a response or contribution, but also maintaining the attention and focus of the participant to maximize the desired transfers of knowledge and accomplish the objectives of the session.

Getting Connected (Participants)
The biggest challenge in beginning the use of a virtual facility is the participants’ …