Originally Posted on The Coaching Tools Company as How to Use Breakout Rooms: 10 Tips to Supercharge Your Webinars & Groups! by Jennifer Britton
As a coach, team and group coaching trainer and virtual meetings expert, I am often asked how to use breakout rooms, a powerful tool that helps us create connection in our webinars and groups. I wonder:
- Do you already use Breakout Rooms as a powerful engagement tool to turn a passive webinar into a memorable, impactful conversation?
- Or perhaps you’d like to reinvigorate your online meetings and sessions with some great Breakout Room tips?
Either way, you’ll find this article on how to use breakout rooms helpful.
So first, what is a Breakout Room?
A breakout room is a tool or process provided by meeting apps that puts our attendees into groups—and then allows people to engage with each other, separate from the main meeting.
Breakouts are a powerful tool to create connection, learning and an action plan for moving learning off the screen. They provide an opportunity for group members to connect and articulate what’s important to them. This is key in a group coaching process where it’s not just about listening to others, but also having airtime yourself.
And below we explore 10 tips for how to use breakout rooms—practical things to keep in mind as you go to create your next webinar or group program.
TIP: While many of us now think of breakouts as solely part of the virtual space, these ideas apply to in-person gatherings too!
Here are 10 Tips for How to Use Breakout Rooms to Supercharge Your Webinars
1. Consider the purpose
The first factor to consider is outcomes: get clear on why you’re integrating breakouts. Is it to:
- Energize the group and get them talking?
- Connect people?
- Create clarity around a complex topic where people can share insights or best practices?
- Support accountability, thinking about how people will apply their learning offscreen?
- Create a memorable experience?
2. Consider the size of your breakout room
Keep the breakout room size small: three to four is often the best size for a breakout room. This is large enough in case anyone has any technical challenges and can’t join/contribute, but small enough to help the group keep connected.
Breakouts of two or three people are also quite common, especially in the remote space.
A group larger than five often starts to splinter. And remember: the more people in a room, the more likely “social loafing” becomes, where fewer people will speak out and some may avoid speaking altogether.
In addition, the more people you have in a breakout room, the longer it takes for everyone to share—so you will need to allow more time.
3. Provide clear instructions
What do you want people to do or discuss?
Be clear with your instructions and check for understanding. You may want to repeat the instructions or put them in the chat.
Zoom also offers a facility that allows you to send messages to the people in your breakout rooms. So use this to remind people of any instructions or the question they are considering.
4. Consider how people will share their breakout room learnings
Consider how each group will share key learnings from the breakout.
Will someone present verbally, or does each group share their top three to five ideas in the chat? Consider the process as part of your webinar planning, and before people go to breakouts.
5. Assign roles within the breakout room
Just as for in-person meetings, who will lead the conversation, keep time, take notes or report back? You can assign the roles or get someone in the group to do so.
6. Provide enough time
Consider how much time is enough for the conversation. It takes time for people to get into the room, get set up, settle and then move into the conversation. Usually, 8–15 minutes is a good range for a more substantive process.
Also, do the people already know each other? If not, you may want to consider short introductions during the breakout time.
7. Monitor and communicate time
Use a running timer in the room so people know where they’re at.
Many virtual platforms allow for a timer to run in the room so people can monitor their time. If this option is not available, then use the broadcast function to remind people when to switch roles or activities, and give them notice as the breakout comes to an end.
8. Provide clear instructions on what people need to bring back from the breakout
Be sure to clearly communicate your expectations. What should your attendees expect when they return to the main webinar or group? And what do you expect from people coming back to the room?
If necessary, show people what you mean, and describe and repeat anything you want them to do or discuss.
9. Integrate a fun activity
Breakouts are not just for sharing. They can be a powerful energizer, or an opener or closer for your webinar.
Consider incorporating these breakout room activities:
- Energize the group: Get people to engage in an A–Z scavenger hunt using the materials around As a group, they can find things in their environment for each letter of the alphabet and hold them up to the camera.
- Make it personal: Get people to share the most important thing they’ve heard in what you’ve been discussing or exploring so far.
- Share the wisdom: Have people share one resource they use that relates to the topic at hand.
Two great closing activities:
- Action: Have people share the one step they will take to put what they’ve learned into action.
- Key Learnings: Get people to create a Top 5 or Top 10 list of their key learnings. Be aware that the longer the list, the more time it will take.
10. Do it again!
If you have a long enough call, consider keeping people in the same group for the next breakout so they have the necessary trust and connection to go a little deeper into their conversation. (Though sometimes it can also be valuable to mix things up!)
Wrap-up
So, there we have 10 tips for how to use breakout rooms and make your breakouts a success.
What will you do to incorporate more breakouts into your group coaching conversations?
Consider:
- Which tip did you like best?
- What new ideas will you incorporate into your breakout rooms going forward?
And lastly, what questions and tips do YOU have for breakout rooms? Share your ideas in the comments below.
EDITOR’S NOTE: And if like me you need some technical tips on how to use Zoom Breakouts to get started, check out this short, helpful Breakout Room beginners tutorial video on YouTube here
