I am facilitating a virtual cohort and some people never turn on their video. Is that acceptable? If not, how do I encourage full participation?

This is a common situation and requires effective communication on your part. During Session 1, when you share the philosophy of CO.STARTERS and the value of the cohort, explain how important it is that we all feel connected and trust one another. This will best happen when we share our visual presence, so all participants can be seen and see each other. Sometimes, it’s helpful to explain: “We know there may be kids interrupting, or that you might join in casual clothes with no make-up, and we know that your house might be a mess, since guess what? So is mine! The important thing is that we accept each other as we are. So don’t be afraid to join.”

There are times when sharing video is problematic from a technical standpoint. There may not be adequate service or bandwidth for participants to turn their cameras on. If this is the case, insure by the next session that everyone has a photo of themselves added to their Zoom account (or whichever platform you are using) so that the screen displays a friendly face—not just a name.