Teleconference+Resources

On the [|Onlinefacilitation] list, a question came up about good resources for telephone facilitation. A number of articles were found, but nothing really complete. So we thought, why not build a wiki book? This is our first attempt. If you would like to join it, let me know. //(We are working on// [|//Google Docs//]//, o leave me an email - nancy.white at gmail dot com or comment. Or offer any suggestions in comments if you are reading this in Nancy's// [|Blog] //- I decided it might be useful to blog this when Beth pinged me today asking for the URL.)//

What would we want to write about facilitating groups on the telephone? Let's **//brainstorm//** some general categories first. We can decide later.

Here's our starting point. Feel free to spawn off new pages if you want to dig into any one bit.


 * Telephone calls for groups in:**
 * meetings
 * project management teams
 * learning events
 * guest speaker presentations
 * orientation or closure for online activity/event
 * networks
 * presentations/pitches


 * Teleconferences support processes of:**
 * decision making (convergence)
 * problem solving/conflict resolution
 * fun/play
 * relationship building/orientation
 * brainstorming
 * teamwork
 * knowledge sharing
 * information delivery


 * Practices**
 * Planning calls
 * Integrating with other media and modes of communication (online, face-to-face, presentation media and print resources).
 * Providing a "jumping off" point --where people can look up the details if they're lost
 * How to integrate visuals -- either prepared in advance or generated during the call
 * Collecting topics from asynchronous discussions (email lists or web boards)
 * Posting audio recordings or notes so that they support asynchronous interaction or give people who couldn't make it to the call a sense of belonging
 * Identifying roles in advance
 * Facilitator or master of cermonies
 * When to speak, frequency, but not necessarily amount of speaking
 * Having a "greeter" who arrives 5 or more minutes early to welcome people as they arrive helps them orient socially
 * Having a "tech person" who can help people (say, by means of a chat room or IM if they have difficulties)
 * Designated presenters or speakers who are experts in the topic
 * Having a note-taker (say in a chat-room, that also supports the "tech person")


 * Time zones - how to pick a time that works for people around the globe
 * Time zone tools
 * [|FoxClock]
 * [|TimeandDate.com]
 * Building sociability and relationship on group telephone calls
 * Ways to help visualize people and ideas in an aural environment
 * EEKim - Shared Visual Display
 * Going beyond introductions - what can help build relationship, sense of individuals and of the group?
 * Vary intro topics to fit the actual topic of the call
 * Don't have to do everything on one call
 * Intercultural and language issues
 * Norms and agreements
 * Practices around who is speaking (i.e. say your name before speaking - not everyone can hear voice differences)
 * Practices around directing comments to an individual vs to the group
 * Staying on schedule/agenda
 * Practices for groups with accents and/or using a second (3rd, 4th, etc.) language
 * The call
 * Joining/leaving call practices
 * Turn taking practices
 * Phone call break out practices (smaller group, return, etc. process and technology)
 * Using chat as back channel/note-taking
 * Recording calls
 * Privacy issues and protocols
 * Recording, playback and transcription tools/services
 * [|http://www.audioacrobat.com]
 * http://free.conferencecall.com
 * http://www.highspeedconferencing.com
 * http://www.skype.net
 * http://www.learningalliances.net/CoP_Resources/Recording-phone-meetings.htm
 * Follow-up
 * Completeness of record-keeping
 * Immediacy -- the sooner the better
 * Preparing for online interaction or future calls


 * Potential FAQ's**
 * How to use silence in phone calls (silence, bells, sounds, etc.)
 * What to do with distracting noises, on-hold music and other PITAs (process and technology based solutions)
 * Issues around size of group (what size is the max for full participation of all? When do you move to a different model? tool?)


 * Resources -** Other useful articles on the net about telephone facilitation
 * Nancy's [|Telephone Call Facilitation Tips]
 * John Smith's [|Meeting on a Telephone Bridge >]
 * John Smith and Shawn Callahan's piece, (added 1/2008)[|Conference call practices to generate knowledge and record learning >]
 * John's [|reflection on bridge line services] (added 2/2008)
 * Caren Levin's tips (added 1/2008) [|Got Culture?] (as in phone culture)
 * Npower's [|Running Effective Online Trainings]
 * Kate Pugh's [|Good practice for phone-based CoP teleconferences]
 * [|Tips for Teleconference Participants]
 * [|Tips for Teleconference Leaders]
 * [|Proven, Practical Tips for Conference Calls]
 * Cheap and useful telephone services and tools
 * [|http://www.freeconferencecall.com]
 * http://www.highspeedconferencing.com/ (combines regular phone calls and Skype calls)
 * [|http://www.skype.com]
 * http://www.gizmoproject.com/
 * [|http://www.nocostconference.com/]
 * http://www.vyew.com/content/ Simple tool to share screens, etc.
 * http://www.freeconference.comincludes scheduling tools
 * http://iotum.com/ which has a Facebook application for inviting, note taking and recording of calls from within Facebook


 * Contributors to this Resource:**
 * Nancy White http://www.fullcirc.com
 * Bronwyn Stuckey
 * Beth Kanter http://www.bethkanter.org
 * John Smith - john.smith (at) learningalliances.net - http://www.learningalliances.net