There's also the intimidation factor of online technology. Many of us don't know how to use the tools, or are uncomfortable not seeing each others' faces.



If you're running an online meeting you'll want at least one of these icebreaker tips:

1. Introduce yourselves

Most online meetings at least ask for a roll call. Take it a step further, especially if the group doesn't know each other, and ask for their title and why they joined the meeting. I also like to help participants personalize -- a commonly-used icebreaker is to have everyone something about themselves we may not know. Personalizing may not be right for more formal meetings. It's great when a group of people are meeting for the first time and will be working together for a while.

2. Ask for a lead-in

Help everyone understand the reasons for the meeting. You might ask each person to share one thing they want to get from the meeting. Advanced online tip: if you have interactive chat in your web conference software, have everyone type in their answer. Think of it as a quick software orientation inside the icebreaker.

3. Visuals rule

Make a quick powerpoint slide with a question to answer. For example, ask them to complete a quote, answer a riddle, or figure out what a closeup picture is of. Why a visual? It gives participants a chance to focus on the presentation screen AND ensures their software's working. If you're feeling really brave have them try to write the answer on-screen with the annotation tool.

4. Take a survey

Some internet conference vendors support online surveys. If yours does, put up a survey (topic-related or just for fun) for participants to answer. If I'm running a long presentation I'll hold the results until a mid-meeting break.

Ready for your next online meeting? Take a minute and plan an icebreaker. You'll be glad you did.