Side Chats During Online Meetings: A Minefield for Leaders

When participants in online meetings use chat tools, they can start productive public chats — or private side chats that the meeting leader and other attendees will never see. While side chats can serve positive purposes, like enhancing connections to colleagues and helping people quickly clarify questions, they also have the potential to diminish constructive conversation and hurt group trust. The ability to master this element of the modern meeting has become a necessary new business skill.