Shake it Up to Avoid Silence on Conference Calls

By Alison Keller

I facilitate conference calls for two committees of the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). Communicating with a large group to drive decisions via conference calls can be difficult for staff and for volunteer committee chairs or board leaders.

During the last year I experimented with several ideas to improve communication and facilitate discussion.


Fun Roll Calls Select a topic (i.e. what is your favorite chain restaurant, what is your all-time favorite television show, etc.) and instead of a person saying “present” when his or her name is called, he or she has to answer a fun question. This gets people warmed-up and starts to build camaraderie among the committee.

Who Are You?When you have committee chairs or a special speaker, send out their pictures so people can get an idea of who they are speaking with. Also, NASCIO has an online collaboration community. Every couple of weeks I “spotlight” a committee member so others can get to know that person.

Expert PanelsWhen we have a learning topic to discuss, I bring in a panel of two to four experts to share their ideas and then open the floor for questions and comments. This helps facilitate discussion and brings in new ideas.

Most Valuable Participant (MVP)This is a new one that I plan to try on my next committee call. Encourage frequent and valuable participation by naming a MVP of the call. The staff facilitators will vote on the MVP and then mail a fun prize to the winner.

These are a just a few ideas. I would be interested in hearing yours as well.