Techhost and meeting facilitator Heather Leavitt Martinez

Online meetings, love them or hate them, have a central role in building cultures where engagement is at the heart. 

In the last few years it is no surprise that there has been a much greater focus on the details of excellent execution in online meeting facilitation. With good reason – people can easily become disengaged through poorly managed online meetings. I know for myself it only takes a few bad online meetings to disincentivise my involvement.

On this podcast episode I had an illuminating conversation with Heather Levitt Martinez, change management expert and founder of TechHost Academy, about how to make online meetings engaging, productive and exciting. 

With Heather’s unique insights as a visual practitioner-turned-online sessions specialist, we covered the core issues faced during virtual meetings. 

Heather talked about what distinguishes an approach that creates a ‘fail’ on these counts and one that fosters engagement and productivity. She shared some tactics that increase engagement, including breaking groups into smaller units and giving quieter members a voice.

Heather outlined the pivotal role of a TechHost in ensuring smooth and inclusive meetings, from managing technology to facilitating diverse contributions.

We also dug into the tangible aspects of tech hosting – which platform is her favourite and what needs to be organised before a meeting.

Heather underscored the significance of a strong organisational culture for creating the best meetings, and the impact of leaders modelling the behaviours they wish to see.