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Virtual training – how to ensure it’s brilliant

Tags: Be interesting | Meetings | Impact | Leadership | Influencing

22nd February

No surprises here, but I have done a LOT of virtual training over the last two years (can’t think why…)

And here are some techniques I’ve found make a huge difference to the size and longevity of the training’s impact:

  • Meet the leaders before – with any training, the leaders make or break its long-term success. How do they set-up the training before? How do they follow-up after? Do they attend and contribute? So, organise a briefing call with them upfront, to explain what the training will cover, allow them to ask you questions, tell them what you need from them, and so on
  • Create excitement – ask the leaders to excite their team about the training. Delegates who rock-up thinking, “I can’t be bothered with this – I’m busy” or “what are we learning today – remind me?”… well, that isn’t good
  • Give pre-work – to help engage your delegates early, give them some pre-work. It doesn’t have to be much. But it does have to be ‘more than none’. So, set them some valuable, un-onerous pre-work (you’ll probably ask the leaders to give them this pre-work – this also helps build group buy-in)
  • Pre-book an immediate follow-up – virtual training usually means: delegates attend it, then immediately go back to their day job. But this means they’ve had no time to digest their learnings, decide on their urgent actions, etc. To overcome this problem, schedule two things in everyone’s diaries – the training itself, and (immediately after it) follow-up team meetings. During these follow-ups, leaders will ask questions like, “What actions will you take? When you will be doing these? What help do you need from me? When shall we follow-up, to see how things are going?”
  • Regular follow-ups – the aim of training is to change delegates’ long-term habits. Which means we need to follow-up in the long-term. So, schedule regular check-in times, to ensure your team’s still using the new techniques, and hasn’t slipped back

So they are my Top Tips. I would love to hear yours! And so…

Action Point

  1. Please let me know your Top Tip for ensuring virtual training changes behaviours
  2. Next virtual training session, use as many of these tips as you can!
  3. Watch these videos on how to deliver brilliant training presentations (scroll down to month four – these videos are free)