If you’re holding town hall meetings, making this forum an engaging two-way exchange of information is vital—but it can also be terrifying. When some leaders hear the words “Q&A session” or “interactive discussion” they sometimes picture the worst: “dead air,” instead of engagement; rambling employees who freeze up, instead of connection; leaders fumbling to answer emotionally charged questions, instead of transparency.
When you open up your large-group meeting to audience participation, there will always be an element of unknown. What will employees ask? What if they ask about something sensitive and we can’t answer, or we just don’t know the answer? Sure, there will be uncertainty—but good communicators know the value of the two-way exchange outweighs the potential downside.
Never fear, here are a few tried-and-true practices to help you control what you can, and plan for the rest.
With these practices in mind, you’ll be on your way to pulling off your next interactive town hall without a hitch.
Author: Kate Tomasco