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.
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
Good idea
Use to show approval or appreciation
Understand
Use to indicate you understand a statement or question.
Help
Use to ask for help or assistance
Sorry
Use to apologize
Break
Use to indicate you/we need a break
Wait
Use to ask for patience or a brief pause
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
Deaf or unable to hear
Use to indicate you can’t hear the speaker and they may need to take themselves off mute
Mute
Use to remind participants to place themselves on mute
Slow
Use to ask the presenter or speaker to slow down
Fast
Use to ask the presenter or speaker to speed up
(This is one of my favorite signs. Ka-chow!)
Continue
Use to indicate to the speaker “GEPO” (Good Enough, Push On) or “ELMO” (Enough, Let's Move On)
Please
Use to politely confirm a request
Thank you
Use to show appreciate and thanks