The first six minutes decide the session

Housekeeping, an agenda slide, and a request that people introduce themselves. All three tell the room the same thing: nothing is required of you yet, so go check your email.

Attention given away in the opening does not come back. You can raise the energy later, but you will never recover the ten people who opened Slack at minute two.

Everybody acts. One question, answered by all of them, in the chat or in writing, before you have explained anything. "What is the one thing about this topic that would make the next hour worth it" is enough.

It works because the cost of participating is one line of text, and because after they type, they have already invested in the room.

After the first act, in under thirty seconds, or not at all. Recording consent is the exception and belongs up front, plainly stated: what is recorded, who sees it, how long it is kept.

The rest, mute buttons and breakout instructions, can be said the moment it becomes relevant.

Name it. Required compliance training, a mandated meeting, a session scheduled at 4pm on a Friday. "Nobody chose to be here, so I will keep it to the time promised and make it worth something" is more effective than pretending enthusiasm.

Then deliver on it. The room forgives a dull topic. It does not forgive running long after you promised you would not.

Want this applied to your own session?

Book twenty minutes and bring the agenda you are stuck on.