Virtual Facilitation

Elsewhere in this documentation we have described a multitude of ways to facilitate hackweeks. Some of these approaches can be applied in a virtual setting:

Virtual Liberating Structures

• Impromptu Networking is a structure that helps individuals discuss new ideas through brief, one-on-one discussions with several people in the room. This structure can be implemented using Zoom breakout rooms, letting Zoom randomly assign people into pairs.

• 1-2-4-All helps unleash new ideas and provides low-stress ways for individuals to have their ideas heard. This can also be achieved with Zoom breakout rooms.

• Mad Tea is a fun way to provoke deeper reflections in a group. This can be done in a chat window, where the invitation is listed by the moderator in the chat window, then everyone is given 30 seconds to write their response without pressing enter. Then, when the moderator says it is time, everyone hits enter at the same time, and we can collectively read each person's response.

Other Facilitations

• anonymous check-in: One way to get a feeling for how things are going is to poll groups and invite anonymous responses or ratings. For example, a color scheme could be used to anonymously share how well each person thinks things are going in their team (for example, green, yellow or red to indicate good, OK and poor). A lot of red responses in a team might inidicate it is time for a more extensive check-in.

• Virtual coaching and conflict resolution: Teams or individuals requiring or requesting more help could be matched with an event coordinator for a private communication to work through challenges.