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Structure an agenda to keep things on track – it’s hard to get away with being ill-prepared. Make sure everyone knows the schedule, start and end times for each agenda item, when they have flexibility and when deadlines are tight.

Choose tools that are easy to use. During the meeting spend as little time explaining the technology as possible. Help people focus on the issues they have come to work on.

Many of the techniques you have used to facilitate face-to-face brainstorming will be useful in your remote session. However, virtual brainstorming offers some different challenges and opportunities that you need to prepare for.

Well run and effective meetings require a lot of planning. A typical meeting model is: 10% Planning; 80% Meeting; 10% Follow-up. A much more effective model is 50% Planning; 20% Meeting; 30% Follow-up.

This method is used to engage large groups in a fully participative conversation. Combining elements of appreciative inquiry and a fishbowl discussion the method outlined here is designed to engage a group in a listening exercise followed by a process of discussion and summarizing.

The room has white, curved walls, spotlighted with pink hues. Pastel-colored globes hang from the ceiling. If the members of the group in the room aren't drawing sketches on the walls, they may be playing with puppets or Lego logs.

Even the healthiest companies must make dramatic reductions in staff and overall spending to remain viable in what may be the worst economy most of us will see in our lifetimes. As staff is cut, more is asked of those who remain.

Even if you’ve had years of experience leading groups, you’re bound to feel a little anxious when you are asked to facilitate a virtual meeting, especially one that replaces a traditional face-to-face one. The two best ways to alleviate your fears are first, detailed planning, and second, practice.

A virtual meeting is an event or series of events where participants join in from multiple locations. A virtual meeting may be held "real time" where everyone is participating as the same time, often by teleconference or video conference.