Checklist for Dry Run for an Online Speakers Hive Meetings

This blog post captures the checklist for the dry-run for online meetings. 

What & Why?

Speakers Hive looks at our weekly meetings as the platform to perform, learn and grow. We believe that a high-quality hive meeting maximises the learning opportunities for all of our meeting participants. Hence, we practice before we perform. We do a dry-run before our online meetings to ensure that everyone is well prepared for a high-quality meeting.  During the dry-runs, the meeting organizer checks if all the role players are prepared adequately for a high-quality meeting.

When?

The dry run happens online typically a day before the actual meeting. 

Who?

It is a must for MC, JAM Talks Master, Time Keeper, Wordsmith, Votes Counter and ALL the first time role players to complete a dry run once with the meeting organiser / coordinator.

ALL role players should consult their mentors before performing their roles. Dry run is a not a substitute for working with mentors.

Hive Talks Speakers should've got their speech scripts reviewed by their mentors and changes incorporated in the speech before the dry run.

Where?

All role players should be educated by the meeting organizer to connect to the dry run / real meeting: 

• from a laptop (all unwanted apps to be closed to maximise the laptop performance)
• with broadband Internet access (video should not freeze, voice quality should be high/clear/audible)
• a quiet place 
• good lighting and preferably a plain background

How?

During the dry run, the meeting organizer/coordinater checks for the following items to prepare the role players.

1. MC anchors the meeting as-if he/she does it in a real meeting. The meeting organiser checks

• if the role players are properly introduced as per the meeting theme
• if the different segments are properly explained/introduced
• the flow of the meeting is as per the meeting agenda
• if the handovers and transitions are smooth 
• meeting is properly wrapped up

2. Time Keeper: This is one of the challenging roles for an online meeting. The meeting organiser checks:

• if the time keeper is able to introduce the role / display the cards without any hiccups (the role player template for Time Keeper provides some tips on how to do this effectively.)
• if the time keeper is able to read out the script properly during the introduction (specifically, mentioning about grace time for each speaker/qualification for voting and the fact that the red card will continue to be UP till the speaker finishes his/her speech)
• if the time keeper is able to show the timing cards during the speech
• if the time keeper knows the timing rules for Hive Talks, JAM Talks and Peer-Reviews
• if the time keeper knows how to "present" the report at the end of the meeting (details available in the role player template)

3. Wordsmith: The meeting organiser checks:

• if the wordsmith is able to introduce the role as per the script (If the word-of-the-day is already introduced by the MC, the wordsmith need not introduce again... )
• if the wordsmith is able to keep track and present the report at the end of the meeting (for word usage, right usage of English grammar, not-so-good usage of English grammar). For the not-so-good usages, the names of the speakers who made the error should not be mentioned. (The role player template already captures this input)

4. Votes Counter: The meeting organiser checks:

• if the votes counter has already prepared a form with the Hive Talks Speakers and Peer-Reviewers names. The JAM Section has to be left empty and needs to be populated during the time of the meeting.
• if the voting form is working properly. the meeting organiser casts his/her vote and asks the Votes Counter to check, if he is able to see the vote from the backend
• if the votes counter knows how to share the results with the group at the end of the meeting

5. JAM Talks Master: The meeting organiser checks:

• if the topics are appropriate for the audience (review done via Whatsapp, and outside of the meeting. Topics need not be shared during the dry-run)
• if the JAM master knows to introduce the role 
• if the JAM master knows to call non-role players first and then role players like Votes Counter and Wordsmith... before calling others. Specifically, the JAM master should not ask for volunteers and waste time. 
• JAM master has to first call the name of the person, wait for a second till the speaker gets ready and repeats the topic twice clearly.
• JAM master has to wrap-up the segment by 8.40 am (for the 8 - 9 am meeting) or when signalled by the MC (mechanisms for signalling needs to be agreed upon during the dry-run)

6. Hive Talks Speakers / Peer-Reviewers: The meeting organiser makes them say a few lines to ensure that their audio / video is good.