Use these practical tips to make your virtual training sessions more impactful
The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to rethink our real-life interactions that included delivering work-related training programs. While the pandemic is receding, virtual training is not. It’s here to stay. In response to a global survey conducted by Simplilearn Solutions, 86% of the respondents reported that their employers have shifted in-person training to virtual learning using online platforms.
While this looks like a move towards convenience for both parties, the big question for trainers is, “Have we delivered in terms of effectiveness and retention of knowledge when training is delivered online?”
Now is a good time to evaluate your virtual training’s effectiveness and ensure you have everything you need to maximize results for your organization or clients.
Why is Virtual Learning Here to Stay?
Learners all over the world have tasted the sweet convenience of online learning. And they aren’t willing to go back to the classroom. Back in May 2020, Forbes published an article titled, Corporate Education Will Never Return To The Classroom to make the point that virtual is the only way forward.
This mode of training suits both the learners and the employers.
For learners, virtual training means convenience.
For employers, it means lower costs and time investment, and increased standardization.
It’s a win-win.
Tips for Delivering Effective Virtual Training
Now that there’s no doubt about the efficacy of virtual training, it’s time to share a few practical tips for you to deliver maximum value to your virtual learners.
- Research your platform options- Just like you used to make sure your training venue is well-equipped and everything is in place, now it’s essential to keep an eye on the online platforms’ landscape. Thoroughly explore all your options like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet. Once you’ve made your decision, explore every feature your platform offers to get the most value out of it.
- Your background is important – Change your background to avoid monotony for the learners, especially if you’ve been delivering virtual training for a while. Also, stay aware of the time of the day (or night) and the seasons to make sure your room’s lighting is adequate and you’re comfortably visible to everyone.
- Set up two views – Make sure you have a monitor with all the participants in your view continuously. If possible, arrange another monitor where you’re logged in as a participant so you can see what your learners are seeing. This way, you’ll immediately notice any glitch instead of relying on your participants to inform you.
- Have a backup plan in place – Ever heard of Edsel Murphy’s Law – “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”? Plan for your online training with this mindset. Have backups for possible contingencies like internet disconnectivity and power outages.
- Keep your content dynamic – Knowledge keeps changing over time. You should too. Stay in touch with the latest developments in your area and keep whetting your skills and expertise.
Using the Everything DiSC® framework, you can incorporate activities to engage all your participants based on their personality types. For example, any activity that involves analytical thinking will grab the attention of every ‘C’ style learner present in the training. As a facilitator, ask your ‘D’ or “i” style participants to start any activity that involves public speaking. They’ll love it and it’ll also break the ice, making others comfortable before it’s their turn.
As a training professional, having top-notch virtual training skills is critical. If you’re planning to grow in this profession, it’s time you started branding yourself as a trainer that is equally effective in the virtual mode as well as in the classroom.
Everything DiSC® is a good place to start equipping yourself with tools that allow you to engage your online learners throughout the sessions. As a result, you’ll get the freedom to deliver training and make an impact right from the comfort of your home office.
At DiSCprofiles4U, we have painstakingly developed a wide range of DiSC assessment options that can help you brand yourself as an industry leader in this space. Feel free to go through all those options and if you want us to help you chart your course, just drop us a line at [email protected]. We’ll make sure that you get the best value from our Everything DiSC® training solutions.
