In the Jewish tradition, the Talmud is one of the core books: a primary source of Jewish law.
The Talmud is drawn from centuries of oral teachings and includes the opinions of many, many rabbis. It was compiled about fifteen hundred years ago, with more commentary added in subsequent centuries.
I’m no scholar, but what I most appreciate about the Talmud is the structure. The central text – laws and instructions collected from rabbinic knowledge – is literally surrounded on the printed pages by interpretation, discussion, and commentary. It’s a chorus of voices, arguing and tweaking and debating.
This conversation spans hundreds and hundreds of years. In the process, layers of perspective, wisdom, disagreement, and consensus are added to the discussion.
The Talmud is like an ancient form of social media – but one that operated in slow motion.
My big aha!
Over the last 18 months, I’ve facilitated more than 100 webinars, workshops, and virtual meetings. Like you, I spend a LOT of time on Zoom, learning the intricacies of the platform: polls, breakouts, chat, time management, participant engagement, etc.
When leading webinars, I encourage a steady stream of questions and comments via chat. Because it’s hard to present the workshop content while also tracking responses, I rely on a colleague or two to sort through the chat stream and, from time to time, verbally interrupt me (please!) with relevant questions or comments.
In essence, these workshops promote multiple discussions: I provide the central text through my presentation, with participants offering commentary in real time. Sometimes these conversations converge; at other moments, they track in different directions.
By the way it’s structured, Zoom is a kind of Talmud of the twenty-first century. It’s text and commentary, simultaneously amplifying and enriching each another.
Wow! Who knew?
“I’m an excuse to get you in a room together.”
Once upon a time, when I used to lead in-person workshops, I would say to the assembled participants, “I’m an excuse to get you in a room together to learn from each other.”
As the instructor, I bring a lot of expertise, yet much of the insight lives within the group. My job – and yours, too, if you train or facilitate groups – is to help reveal and validate the wisdom in the room.
This goal may be more challenging on Zoom, but the task is ultimately the same: engage the participants and encourage them to engage with each other. Breakouts are a great option, but given many variables – the webinar platform, size of the group, etc. – they’re not always feasible.
More and more, I rely on chat as another helpful, powerful tool for building layers of commentary, learning from each other, and empowering the group.
Frankly, chat is way more beneficial than students whispering or having side conversations during an in-person class. Zoom chat is a simultaneous second discussion that can be productive rather than disruptive.
How you know it’s working
If you’re looking to measure the Talmudic flavor of your next webinar or meeting, consider the following indicators:
- The chat stream is buzzing, especially in response to your questions.
- People react to the content with comments: that’s helpful, I don’t agree, say more about your data, etc.
- Participants use chat to answer each other’s questions and offer suggestions, rather than relying on the presenter.
- People start posting resources: websites, tools, favorite books, and so on.
- During meetings, those who are less likely to speak are fully engaged in chat.
In the best cases, people start their own conversations and trade contact info. How great is that?
Don’t fear the group
I’ve heard stories of webinar trainers turning off the chat function and avoiding breakouts. They don’t want to hear from the group. Their goal is to plow through the slide deck, present the material, and hope that some of it sticks.
Unfortunately, this behavior is based on the one-way theory of teaching: you will learn from me. This is a very different strategy than creating spaces where we can all learn from each other.
If the chat stream is more interesting and educational than the trainer’s presentation, who’s fault is that?
Why not engage the participants, capture their input, and layer in their insights? Why can’t we share our knowledge while also embracing comments, questions, challenges, and differing perspectives?
Of course we can. That’s the Talmud of Zoom.
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