Give Me a Sign: Nonverbal Communication for Online Meetings

Over the last several months, I’ve taught hundreds of facilitators how to manage meetings online. And I consistently hear the same challenge: online meetings suppress many of the modes of nonverbal communication that facilitators are attuned to. They say it is like their intuitive “sense of the room” has been dampened or muted altogether. But I believe online meetings give us an opportunity to adapt, to learn other modes of communication that can compensate for what we may have lost by not being together.

I’ve used simple phrases in American Sign Language in facilitation for years. It’s tremendously helpful when co-facilitating in person. You and your partner can communicate silently and subtly, to make suggestions or quick changes to each other across the room. But I only got the idea to share ASL with participants of online meetings at a recent Design for DC Meetup event hosted by Jo Golden and Erin Nicole Gordon.

A problem of online meetings is that they amplify “production blocking,” the effect of one person speaking and thereby preventing the other participants from contributing their ideas. However, by introducing some simple signs, participants can use their hands and their webcams to stay engaged and communicate simple feelings and ideas without disrupting the lone speaker.

Share the videos below with your participants before or at the beginning of a meeting. Make it safe for participants to use what you share with them by modeling it yourself. Remind them that there are plenty of situations that call for hand signals to communicate nonverbally, from scuba diving to bicycling.

Let’s work together to make signing a part of online meetings.

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Yes

Use to show agreement, approval, or to respond positively to a question

No

Use to show disagreement, disapproval, or to respond negatively to a question


Nice.

Use to show appreciation

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Good idea

Use to show approval or appreciation

Understand

Use to indicate you understand a statement or question.

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Help

Use to ask for help or assistance

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Sorry

Use to apologize

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Break

Use to indicate you/we need a break

Wait

Use to ask for patience or a brief pause

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Finish

Use to indicate that time is coming to an end and to ask the presenter or speaker to come to a close

Stop

Use to indicate time has elapsed and to ask the presenter or speaker to stop

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Deaf or unable to hear

Use to indicate you can’t hear the speaker and they may need to take themselves off mute 

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Mute

Use to remind participants to place themselves on mute

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Slow

Use to ask the presenter or speaker to slow down

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Fast

Use to ask the presenter or speaker to speed up

(This is one of my favorite signs. Ka-chow!)

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Continue

Use to indicate to the speaker “GEPO” (Good Enough, Push On) or “ELMO” (Enough, Let's Move On)

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Please

Use to politely confirm a request

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Thank you

Use to show appreciate and thanks