What Do You Do About Latecomers?

Follow-up Later On

Latecomers often ask, “Can we have the chat transcript?” or “Can we have the recording?” Offering the recording and chat can be a great way to allow people to catch up on the information shared on their own time.

There is a trust issue, however. People know when you are recording, so they can opt into using their camera and verbally expressing themselves. But they might chat about something they don’t really want the world to see. If I send out the chat in a debrief report, I always anonymize the chat. I’ll pull the chat into an Excel spreadsheet, delete the column with the chatters’ names, and keep the substantive conversation.

Make it Fun to Come Early

I’m a massive fan of Unofficial Starts. Unofficial Starts happen in that time before the official start. So, let’s say your event starts at 2 PM; you might open the Zoom room at 1:55 or 1:57, assuming there are people in the waiting room. If there’s a small crowd or if everyone knows each other, the Unofficial Start can be a super casual check-in-style conversation. If the group is large and there are many first-timers, try a more structured activity. One person in the Lab said,

“[Unofficial Starts] avoid that awkward people-logging-in-and-everyone-feels-awkward-staring-at-each-other” feeling. Unofficial Starts can also raise energy, set the tone, build camaraderie, warm up the group, and help people feel more comfortable participating—not to mention get people excited about coming a little earlier the next time.