{"id":11717,"date":"2020-08-11T07:00:10","date_gmt":"2020-08-11T11:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/?p=11717"},"modified":"2026-04-21T13:01:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T17:01:48","slug":"online-meeting-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"Online Meeting Problems (and Solutions!)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><span style=\"color: #035993;\">Most have you have seen the hilarious, but oh-so-real <a style=\"color: #035993;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DYu_bGbZiiQ\">\u201cA Conference Call (in Real Life)\u201d<\/a> by <i>tRIPP and tYLER<\/i> (22 million views) that mocks dozens of common online meeting problems. While most of us now use video conferencing platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, the problems are remarkably similar.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Whether you have seen it or not, the humor wraps around online meeting problems we\u2019ve all had, continue to have, and will have again . . .<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_11725\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/\"><img wpfc-lazyload-disable=\"true\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11725\" class=\"wp-image-11725 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/shutterstock_1752600782.jpg\" alt=\"Online Meeting Problems -- and Solutions!\" width=\"500\" height=\"363\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/shutterstock_1752600782.jpg 500w, https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/shutterstock_1752600782-300x218.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-11725\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #808000;\">Online Meeting Problems &#8212; and Solutions!<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #993300;\"><b>THE PROBLEMS<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><b>Online Meeting Problems . . . the First Minute<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Uncomfortable small talk responses and inability to \u201cconnect\u201d over copper.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Being <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/problem-meetings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">interrupted<\/a> by participants arriving late.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Echo and shrieking feedback from the audio give participants headaches.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Discussion about the source of the echo.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Notification sounds and other audible alarm distractions should be silenced in advance.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b><span style=\"color: #993300;\">Online Meeting Problems . . . the Second Minute<\/span> <\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Interrupted again by more participants arriving late.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">A file link that becomes inoperable for those who are \u201crequired to download a plugin.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Uncomfortable and delayed pauses waiting for the other person to speak again.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Participants talk over one another in an attempt to help.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Inability to determine the Operating System version, required to match up with the correct plug-in version.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Everybody then jumped in at once\u2014again.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Voice and <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meetings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">video<\/a> get jumbled and no one understands the content contribution. or admits it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Participant gets bumped offline and keeps talking because they don\u2019t know it.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><b>Online Meeting Problems . . . the Third Minute<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Screen sharing causes the presenter to lose non-verbal feedback from participants.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Participants cannot see the speaker well because they have not &#8220;pinned&#8221; the speaker.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Group <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/bad-meetings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">discussion<\/a> spent on whether the contributor has been \u201clost\u201d or &#8220;frozen&#8221; (again).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Participants made a significant contribution, only to discover they were on mute.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Others going adrift because of checking email, playing solitaire, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Participants shout one set of fix-it instructions for Windows when they participant is using Mac OS (or vice versa).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Loudly barking dog (really loud that is, not a whimper or quick bark).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Interruption while the dog owner shouts disciplinary instructions to the dog.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">An espresso machine in the background drowns out important content.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #993300;\"><b>Online Meeting Problems . . . the Fractional Final Minute<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Participants depart before the meeting ends.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Unsuspecting participant speaks up, previously unacknowledged, but attending the entire session.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Eager to add content, they discover key personnel now gone or missing, and therefore unable to share valuable content.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #035993;\"><b>THE SOLUTIONS<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">You and your organization will NOT be able to do everything required. Most cultures simply won\u2019t allow disciplined behavior, such as preventing meetings from going overtime. However, <em><strong>if you don\u2019t try, the problems above will repeat themselves,<\/strong><\/em> and slowly become seen as \u201cnormal\u201d, thus expected and tolerated by most employees.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Incredibly, most of your solutions have little to do with specialized business expertise. Rather, the discipline required derives from basic <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/clear-communications\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">communication<\/a> skills and interpersonal respect. There is no federal law, or ethical standard for that matter, that demands employers treat employees with respect. For most \u201cat-will\u201d employees, they have the liberty or option to simply quit if they don\u2019t like the way they are being treated.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">In addition to some basic online etiquette such as silencing your Notifications and No Hiding (turning off the video), here are some other solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #035993;\"><b>Communication Basics<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">When listening, do not assume. Rather, confirm. All too often we proceed as if everybody else understands the same words and situations as we do. Prudently, assume the opposite. There is typically at least one person in any meeting who views the meaning of terms or interpretation of the situation differently. Probably caused by different backgrounds, upbringing, and other life experiences, we should embrace and leverage the alternative point of view. Breakthrough and creativity are with new thinking. Innovation results from plurality, incongruity, seemingly unrelated, and other patterns of perception that represent the opposite of cloning yourself.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Structured icebreakers and warm-up exercises have proven the value of discipline. Simple structure such as having everyone answer an icebreaker question can create value and strengthen connections among employees. Small talk will not increase productivity like structured introductions, such as some form of an icebreaker. Studies are showing that <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/icebreakers-for-large-groups\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">icebreakers<\/a> are particularly valuable when meetings are consistently held online, such as mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/active-listening\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Active listening<\/a> mitigates many of the problems mentioned. By providing consistent and reliable reflection, everyone gets heard, and everyone hears what the other person said. With luck, the facilitator has also reflected WHY they said it. Remember, people speak about symptoms, not causes. You build consensus at a causal level, not by focusing on symptoms. People think &#8220;stink&#8221;, not prevailing wind. Likewise, people think &#8220;spicy&#8221;, not Scoville Units. And people think the &#8220;cost of living&#8221;, is not disposable income after all the bills have been paid.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #035993;\"><b>Leadership Requirements<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Meetings require leaders and the very best embrace a servant-leadership mindset that reflects the skills necessary to be an effective facilitator. Facilitators above all protect the participants. Someone needs to interrupt the interrupter. While it remains both unavoidable and acceptable for some to speak briefly about items not within the meeting scope, when the talk becomes a distraction, nuisance, or puts the meeting objectives at risk, the side conversations need to be effectively reined in by the facilitator.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Proper documentation should precede meetings. While difficult to imagine, participants should never agree to attend a meeting without a deliverable and an agenda. How many completely unstructured discussions have been worth your time? If so, then your time might not be worth as much as it should. Meeting invitations should include the meeting purpose, scope, objectives, agenda, and other necessary information such as access numbers, passcodes, PINS, SharePoint, file attachments, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meetings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Virtual seating<\/a> arrangements can be leveraged to ensure more effective \u201cRound-Robins\u201d so that all participants are afforded an opportunity to speak. Always provide participants with permission to say \u201cpass.\u201d Facilitators also need to be more effective and frequent with their use of <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Breakouts<\/em><\/a> to stimulate and keep people moving. A multitude of activities, auditory, and visual stimulation adds to the Zen of the online experience, providing valuable texture in an otherwise flat world of flat screens.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #035993;\"><b>Cultural Factors<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Punctuality, time management, and respecting others\u2019 time should become commonplace within your culture, rather than the exception. In team sports, much like team businesses, if players arrive late or miss the spot they should occupy, the team scores less often or yields itself to its competitors. Is business that much different? Extensive studies have correlated innovation, eco-sensitivity, and other factors with increased growth and profitability. We\u2019re willing to bet that timeliness also correlates highly with profitability.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Effective facilitators enforce <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/ground-rules\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ground rules<\/a>. Whether policing electronic leashes or challenging participants to make their thinking visible, ground rules help teams get more done faster. Enforce standards that playing games and multi-tasking are unacceptable behavior\u2014clear violations of fiduciary responsibility.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Perhaps alone on this, common and brief background noises such as doorbells or brief barking don\u2019t bother us at all. They are natural and mostly unavoidable in both our remote and office environments. Common household noises are no different than hi-rise elevator noise, PA (public address) systems, or shouting across cubicles. If they are not a distraction, who cares? (flushing toilets is a different matter entirely). We waste time fumbling with mute buttons, in addition to repeating content previously muted. Standard background noise such as a child running down the hallway causes few delays or wasted moments.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #035993;\">Equipment Issues<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Enterprises and organizations need to step up and provide employees with more robust online tools. Cheap cameras and microphones waste time and money. Online meetings are here to stay. Even in a post-Covid world, the benefits to individuals, organizations, communities, and the planet are clear\u2014working remotely can add value. Not everyone and not every day perhaps but ZOOM and TEAMS are not going away\u2014ever (Until replaced by holographic equipment or some other, improved technology that benefits remote workers and reduces carbon displacement). Is there anything more annoying than a reverberating echo or loud screech caused by inferior equipment?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">With some luck, manufacturers will improve their acceptance and use of universal keyboard commands. How do I pin that? Where is the mute? How do I switch cameras? We could go on and on, but it will benefit everyone to use and embrace some common keyboard commands, icons, and shortcuts so that we can seamlessly go from MAC to PC to iPad to phone without needing to completely re-orient ourselves. Is it too much to ask for a common keyboard command that pins the speaker or another that provides a Gallery view?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #f16334;\">Finally: Specialized Training Helps<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">First, don&#8217;t expect to facilitate successfully online if you don&#8217;t have the training and skills to facilitate a meeting in person. If you&#8217;re not a trained meeting facilitator, now is the time to step up your game. Check out our calendar of professional ONLINE and on-site classes <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"http:\/\/mgrush.com\/public-facilitation-training-calendar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">HERE<\/a>.<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #333333; font-size: 14pt;\">That said&#8230; There are tips specific to connecting with your participants online. We attended Daniel Mezick&#8217;s class, <em><a style=\"color: #333333;\" href=\"http:\/\/newtechusa.net\/training\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Connect and Communicate: How to Teach ONLINE<\/a><\/em> which will help you better connect with all your virtual people, and yourself. Daniel is a special person and a superb teacher.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>______<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Don\u2019t ruin your career by hosting <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/bad-meetings\/\">bad meetings<\/a>. Sign up for a <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/public-facilitation-training\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">workshop<\/a> or send this to someone who should. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260106090117\/https:\/\/mgrush.com\/\">MGR<span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">USH<\/span><\/a><\/em> focuses on meeting design and practice. Each person practices tools, methods, and activities daily during the week. Therefore, while some call this immersion, we call it the road to building high-value facilitation skills.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Go to the Facilitation <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/shop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Training Store\u00a0<\/a>to access proven, in-house resources, including fully annotated agendas, break timers, and templates. Finally, take a few seconds to buy us a cup of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.paypal.com\/webapps\/hermes?token=54P435142P273634K&amp;useraction=commit&amp;rm=2&amp;mfid=1572884404635_f496afd4222\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>coffee<\/strong><\/a> and please SHARE with others.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><em>In conclusion, we<\/em>\u00a0<em>dare you to embrace the will, wisdom, and activities that amplify a facilitative leader. #facilitationtraining #MEETING DESIGN<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>______<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">With Bookmarks no longer a feature in WordPress, we need to append the following for your benefit and reference<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">20 Prioritization Techniques = <a href=\"https:\/\/foldingburritos.com\/product-prioritization-techniques\/\">https:\/\/foldingburritos.com\/product-prioritization-techniques\/<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Creativity Techniques = <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mycoted.com\/Category:Creativity_Techniques\">https:\/\/www.mycoted.com\/Category:Creativity_Techniques<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Facilitation Training Calendar = <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/public-facilitation-training-calendar\/\">https:\/\/mgrush.com\/public-facilitation-training-calendar\/<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Liberating Structures = <a href=\"http:\/\/www.liberatingstructures.com\/ls-menu\">http:\/\/www.liberatingstructures.com\/ls-menu<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Management Methods = <a href=\"https:\/\/www.valuebasedmanagement.net\/\">https:\/\/www.valuebasedmanagement.net<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Newseum = https:\/\/www.freedomforum.org\/todaysfrontpages\/<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">People Search = <a href=\"https:\/\/pudding.cool\/2019\/05\/people-map\/\">https:\/\/pudding.cool\/2019\/05\/people-map\/<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Project Gutenberg = http:\/\/www.gutenberg.org\/wiki\/Main_Page<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Scrum Events Agendas = <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/scrum-facilitation\/\">https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/scrum-facilitation\/<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Speed test = <a href=\"https:\/\/www.speedtest.net\/result\/8715401342\">https:\/\/www.speedtest.net\/result\/8715401342<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Teleconference call = <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/DYu_bGbZiiQ\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/DYu_bGbZiiQ<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">The Size of Space = https:\/\/neal.fun\/size-of-space\/<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Thiagi\/ 400 ready-to-use training games = <a href=\"http:\/\/thiagi.net\/archive\/www\/games.html\">http:\/\/thiagi.net\/archive\/www\/games.html<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Visualization methods = <a href=\"http:\/\/www.visual-literacy.org\/periodic_table\/periodic_table.html\">http:\/\/www.visual-literacy.org\/periodic_table\/periodic_table.html#<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">Walking Gorilla = <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/vJG698U2Mvo\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/vJG698U2Mvo<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most have you have seen the hilarious, but oh-so-real \u201cA Conference Call (in Real Life)\u201d by tRIPP and tYLER (22 million views) that mocks dozens of common online meeting problems. While most of us now use video conferencing platforms like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, the problems are remarkably similar. Whether you have seen it or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11725,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[453185952,453185951,453185953,453185955],"tags":[453192501,453191105,453192111,453192113,453192112,453192505],"class_list":["post-11717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-facilitation-skills","category-leadership-skills","category-managing-conflict","category-meeting-tools","tag-daniel-mezick","tag-meeting-problems","tag-online-meeting-problems","tag-online-meeting-solutions","tag-online-meetings","tag-tripp-and-tyler"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Online Meeting Problems (and Solutions, Requirements, and Factors)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Solutions have little to do with business expertise. The disciplines required are basic communication skills and inter-personal respect.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Online Meeting Problems (and Solutions!)\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Solutions have little to do with business expertise. The disciplines required are basic communication skills and inter-personal respect.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FacilitationTraining\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FacilitationTraining\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-08-11T11:00:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-21T17:01:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/shutterstock_1752600782.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"363\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Facilitation Expert\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@TerrenceMetz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@terrencemetz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Facilitation Expert\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/online-meeting-problems\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/online-meeting-problems\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Facilitation Expert\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/33b05e43036ff09de0ddfccfef9a4497\"},\"headline\":\"Online Meeting Problems (and Solutions!)\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-08-11T11:00:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-21T17:01:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/online-meeting-problems\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1788,\"commentCount\":2,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/online-meeting-problems\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/08\\\/shutterstock_1752600782.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Daniel Mezick\",\"meeting problems\",\"Online Meeting Problems\",\"Online meeting solutions\",\"Online meetings\",\"tRIPP and tYLER\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Facilitation Skills\",\"Leadership Skills\",\"Managing Conflict\",\"Meeting Tools\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/online-meeting-problems\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/online-meeting-problems\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/online-meeting-problems\\\/\",\"name\":\"Online Meeting Problems (and Solutions, Requirements, and Factors)\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/online-meeting-problems\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/online-meeting-problems\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/08\\\/shutterstock_1752600782.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-08-11T11:00:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-21T17:01:48+00:00\",\"description\":\"Solutions have little to do with business expertise. The disciplines required are basic communication skills and inter-personal respect.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/online-meeting-problems\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/online-meeting-problems\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/online-meeting-problems\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/08\\\/shutterstock_1752600782.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/08\\\/shutterstock_1752600782.jpg\",\"width\":500,\"height\":363,\"caption\":\"Online Meeting Problems\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/online-meeting-problems\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Online Meeting Problems (and Solutions!)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices Blog\",\"description\":\"Compelling observations about structured, facilitative leadership\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/SquareLogo800X800.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/SquareLogo800X800.png\",\"width\":700,\"height\":700,\"caption\":\"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/FacilitationTraining\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/terrencemetz\",\"http:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/teammetz\",\"http:\\\/\\\/pinterest.com\\\/teammetz\",\"http:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/mgrushfacilitation\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/33b05e43036ff09de0ddfccfef9a4497\",\"name\":\"Facilitation Expert\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6a3c33817cc970e9f1c2d60b6bd170c755f6a66e51205d2f0e41842b9814efa9?s=96&d=identicon&r=pg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6a3c33817cc970e9f1c2d60b6bd170c755f6a66e51205d2f0e41842b9814efa9?s=96&d=identicon&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6a3c33817cc970e9f1c2d60b6bd170c755f6a66e51205d2f0e41842b9814efa9?s=96&d=identicon&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Facilitation Expert\"},\"description\":\"Terrence Metz, president of MG RUSH Facilitation Training, was just 22-years-old and working as a Sales Engineer at Honeywell when he recognized a widespread problem\u2014most meetings were ineffective and poorly led, wasting both time and company resources. However, he also observed meetings that worked. What set them apart? A well-prepared leader who structured the session to ensure participants contributed meaningfully and achieved clear outcomes. Throughout his career, Metz, who earned an MBA from Kellogg (Northwestern University) experienced and also trained in various facilitation techniques. In 2004, he purchased MG RUSH where he shifted his focus toward improving established meeting designs and building a curriculum that would teach others how to lead, facilitate, and structure meetings that drive results. His expertise in training world-class facilitators led to the 2020 publication of Meetings That Get Results: A Guide to Building Better Meetings, a comprehensive resource on effectively building consensus. Grounded in the principle that \u201cnobody is smarter than everybody,\u201d the book details the why, what, and how of building consensus when making decisions, planning, and solving problems. Along with a Participant\u2019s Guide and supplemental workshops, it supports learning from foundational awareness to professional certification. Metz\u2019s first book, Change or Die: A Business Process Improvement Manual, tackled the challenges of process optimization. His upcoming book, Catalyst: Facilitating Innovation, focuses on meetings and workshops that don\u2019t simply end when time runs out but conclude with actionable next steps and clear assignments\u2014ensuring progress beyond discussions and ideas.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/MGrush.com\",\"http:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/FacilitationTraining\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/terrencemetz\\\/\",\"@teammetz\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/TerrenceMetz\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/watch?v=j4x3-Qo9Ez4\"],\"birthDate\":\"1955-09-23\",\"gender\":\"male\",\"jobTitle\":\"Managing Director\",\"worksFor\":\"MG Rush Facilitation\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/teammetz7\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Online Meeting Problems (and Solutions, Requirements, and Factors)","description":"Solutions have little to do with business expertise. The disciplines required are basic communication skills and inter-personal respect.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Online Meeting Problems (and Solutions!)","og_description":"Solutions have little to do with business expertise. The disciplines required are basic communication skills and inter-personal respect.","og_url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/","og_site_name":"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices Blog","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FacilitationTraining\/","article_author":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FacilitationTraining\/","article_published_time":"2020-08-11T11:00:10+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-21T17:01:48+00:00","og_image":[{"width":500,"height":363,"url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/shutterstock_1752600782.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Facilitation Expert","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@TerrenceMetz","twitter_site":"@terrencemetz","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Facilitation Expert","Est. reading time":"8 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/"},"author":{"name":"Facilitation Expert","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/33b05e43036ff09de0ddfccfef9a4497"},"headline":"Online Meeting Problems (and Solutions!)","datePublished":"2020-08-11T11:00:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-21T17:01:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/"},"wordCount":1788,"commentCount":2,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/shutterstock_1752600782.jpg","keywords":["Daniel Mezick","meeting problems","Online Meeting Problems","Online meeting solutions","Online meetings","tRIPP and tYLER"],"articleSection":["Facilitation Skills","Leadership Skills","Managing Conflict","Meeting Tools"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/","name":"Online Meeting Problems (and Solutions, Requirements, and Factors)","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/shutterstock_1752600782.jpg","datePublished":"2020-08-11T11:00:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-21T17:01:48+00:00","description":"Solutions have little to do with business expertise. The disciplines required are basic communication skills and inter-personal respect.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/shutterstock_1752600782.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/shutterstock_1752600782.jpg","width":500,"height":363,"caption":"Online Meeting Problems"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/online-meeting-problems\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Online Meeting Problems (and Solutions!)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/","name":"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices Blog","description":"Compelling observations about structured, facilitative leadership","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/SquareLogo800X800.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/SquareLogo800X800.png","width":700,"height":700,"caption":"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FacilitationTraining\/","https:\/\/x.com\/terrencemetz","http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/teammetz","http:\/\/pinterest.com\/teammetz","http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/mgrushfacilitation"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/33b05e43036ff09de0ddfccfef9a4497","name":"Facilitation Expert","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6a3c33817cc970e9f1c2d60b6bd170c755f6a66e51205d2f0e41842b9814efa9?s=96&d=identicon&r=pg","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6a3c33817cc970e9f1c2d60b6bd170c755f6a66e51205d2f0e41842b9814efa9?s=96&d=identicon&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6a3c33817cc970e9f1c2d60b6bd170c755f6a66e51205d2f0e41842b9814efa9?s=96&d=identicon&r=pg","caption":"Facilitation Expert"},"description":"Terrence Metz, president of MG RUSH Facilitation Training, was just 22-years-old and working as a Sales Engineer at Honeywell when he recognized a widespread problem\u2014most meetings were ineffective and poorly led, wasting both time and company resources. However, he also observed meetings that worked. What set them apart? A well-prepared leader who structured the session to ensure participants contributed meaningfully and achieved clear outcomes. Throughout his career, Metz, who earned an MBA from Kellogg (Northwestern University) experienced and also trained in various facilitation techniques. In 2004, he purchased MG RUSH where he shifted his focus toward improving established meeting designs and building a curriculum that would teach others how to lead, facilitate, and structure meetings that drive results. His expertise in training world-class facilitators led to the 2020 publication of Meetings That Get Results: A Guide to Building Better Meetings, a comprehensive resource on effectively building consensus. Grounded in the principle that \u201cnobody is smarter than everybody,\u201d the book details the why, what, and how of building consensus when making decisions, planning, and solving problems. Along with a Participant\u2019s Guide and supplemental workshops, it supports learning from foundational awareness to professional certification. Metz\u2019s first book, Change or Die: A Business Process Improvement Manual, tackled the challenges of process optimization. His upcoming book, Catalyst: Facilitating Innovation, focuses on meetings and workshops that don\u2019t simply end when time runs out but conclude with actionable next steps and clear assignments\u2014ensuring progress beyond discussions and ideas.","sameAs":["http:\/\/MGrush.com","http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FacilitationTraining\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/terrencemetz\/","@teammetz","https:\/\/x.com\/TerrenceMetz","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=j4x3-Qo9Ez4"],"birthDate":"1955-09-23","gender":"male","jobTitle":"Managing Director","worksFor":"MG Rush Facilitation","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/author\/teammetz7\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/shutterstock_1752600782.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11717"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11717\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}