Creating Trust and Safety for Remote Groups
When we ran our first online session of The Culture of Respect, we had just one question: will this work online? Will a course based on sharing personal, lived experiences between total strangers have the same impact in the virtual space as it did when we used to sit in the same room, in a big circle, face-to-face?
It only took us until the second week to uncover our answer: a resounding "yes!" When one of our facilitators was presenting on the cycle of oppression and how they've experienced it in their own life, we could see people wiping their eyes. We were sure that the impact of the important work we do can be translated to the virtual space, meaning we can bring it to more folks than ever before!
None of this happened by accident. As a team, we spent months planning and wondering how we can replicate the experience. How could we create the safety and trust that allows participants to practice vulnerability and develop lasting buy-in, in a short period of time? As a group, it was important for us to be intentional, ethical, and deliberate.
The 4 points below are what we came up with that works for our community and can be applied to other online groups - school classrooms, remote work teams, anywhere folks are meeting in virtual space and want to show up wholly and authentically.
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What message would you spread if you knew you could engage people in a video conference as effectively as you do in person?
Preview Expectations
You can build community online more quickly if your first meeting isn’t the first time folks are engaging with your group culture.
In the Culture of Respect, we have one-on-ones with participants ahead of time to learn more about them, explain the major expectations for participation, connect them personally with one of our facilitators, and “set the temperature” for interactions within the course.
One of the best pieces of advice I received at the beginning of my career as a high school teacher was this: You are the thermostat in the room. If you want it to be 70 and sunny, be 70 and sunny. These pre-meetings are an opportunity to model the kind of communication and connection you are hoping to see with the group.
Cameras On / Mics On
This is a big one! We learned that the maximum number of people you can see on a Zoom call at once is 49. This means that we never enroll more than 49 people, including our team of facilitators, in a course.
It’s true that this limits our class size - we can’t run massive trainings like other DEI groups - but, more importantly, it supports our core principle of connecting with real people in an intentional and authentic way.
We ask each participant to keep their camera on throughout the entirety of each session. This is a way to keep people “checked in” to the conversation and allow them to receive nonverbal feedback that supports them in their sharing, listening, and growth.
When we are meeting in small groups, sometimes we also ask participants to leave their microphone on. This helps the conversation to flow more freely and naturally. You also get a little more of that nonverbal feedback from the “mm hmms” and other sounds that listening participants might make.
Use Available Features to Create Your Container
Zoom and other online video conferencing platforms have a number of customiziable features you can take advandate of to set the tone and build in the “guard rails” that create trust and make a space safe.
For example, in a typical The Culture of Respect session, we disable the chat except to the host (in case someone has a technical issue). We also disable emoji reactions, they are not appropriate for the types of conversations we have.
However, during our last session of each course, we utilize both! At this point, we’ve built a respectful community that will not inappropriately engage with these tools. Additionally, our final course is focused on a ritual we call “Affirmations.” Having the ability to send chat messages or heart react is appropriate and useful!
When designing your online environment, think critically about what you want to happen (and not happen), and put up guardrails. The, remember that you’re allowed to be nimble and employ different modes for different situations.
Structure Conversations
In The Culture of Respect, we have deliberately developed rhythms: within the course, within each session, and even within each type of conversation. Being able to predict what will happen and how is another way to make sure people feel safe showing up as their whole selves within the space you’re creating.
When creating the agenda for whatever online meetings you plan to run, whether they’re a class, a professional environment, or something else, consider these 2 critical ways to structure your space effectively.
Create a cadence - Build an agenda with timestamps and try to stick to it. Start each session the same way, and consider closing each session the same way as well. Think about what you are hoping to achieve, then set a rhythm that supports that. Find at least one point in each session where everyone is required to use their voice.
Facilitate, don’t present - Facilitation is creating a space for folks to grow and learn. You might have to assign pre-work (get folks to watch that presentation before they arrive!), but your time together is better spent in community than in top-down instruction. Ask meaningful, open-ended questions that draws important information from participants. The learning will be more impactful than if it came from a powerpoint.
The more curated the container, the more free the contents! Letting folks know what to expect lets them prepare to interact and builds trust.
Which of these methods do you currently use in your online community? Are there any you hadn’t considered? Are there any you don’t see listed? What would work would you do, what message would you spread, what community would you build if you knew you could fully engage your participants online? Continue the Conversation by answering in a comment!
