Ep 181: How Hybrid Meetings Can Be Remarkably Effective (with Priya Parker)

by Joan Garry

Tune in as Priya Parker uncovers the treasure within hybrid meetings and shares golden nuggets to transform your hybrid gatherings from ‘awkward’ to ‘awesome’.

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Picture this: You’re sitting in a room with three other team members. The rest of your team populates little Zoom squares on a screen. You’re trying to engage in a complex discussion, perhaps about diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, but it all just feels… off. Unbalanced. 

As if everyone would be better off if you were ALL just in your own little Zoom squares…

Welcome to the Hybrid Universe. The world of combining virtual and in-person meetings. As nonprofit leaders in a post-pandemic world, we find ourselves in this new landscape, navigating the unknown waters of hybrid meetings. 

What if I told you that these hybrid gatherings don’t have to be so terrifying? And what if I told you that there’s a treasure trove of potential hidden within these hybrid gatherings?

Today, I’m thrilled to share the microphone with Priya Parker, a facilitation expert, strategic advisor, and acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters. Priya has devoted two decades to guiding leaders through complicated conversations about community, identity, and vision at moments of transition.

Together, we’re exploring the ins and outs of hybrid meetings. We’ll dive into what they mean and how they work, and share some golden nuggets of advice to transform your hybrid meetings from ‘awkward’ to ‘awesome’.

Tune in to learn:

  • How can we create more productive and valuable hybrid meetings? (0:07)
  • What insights did the pandemic provide about gatherings and how we meet? (3:47)
  • How did leaders and managers adapt their meeting best practices during the pandemic? (9:54)
  • Is it possible to have a ‘good’ hybrid meeting or will we always long for in-person meetings? (19:33)
  • What are the three different meetings within a hybrid meeting? (22:29)
  • How can we make hybrid working work well for our teams? (27:27)
  • How does a facilitator work with hosts in a hybrid meeting environment? (32:40)
  • How do we balance moments of connection and independence in hybrid meetings? (39:19)
  • How can we ensure everyone feels heard in a multigenerational, hybrid team?

Resources

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

About Priya Parker

Priya Parker is a facilitator, strategic advisor, acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters, and executive producer and host of the New York Times podcast, Together Apart. Trained in the field of conflict resolution, Parker has spent 20 years guiding leaders and groups through complicated conversations about community, identity, and vision at moments of transition. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and two children.

Contact Priya Parker