ONLINE TRAINING, THIS DOES NOT WORK, UNLESS…
Online training has opened new ways of relating to each other. The uniqueness of the online itself has strong implications and we do not always take into account all that it entails. Let’s look at the following example:
– “Can you stand behind your screens for this role play, Peter and Susan, please?”
Behind his screen, I feel a moment of shame on Peter’s part. He answers, stuttering.
– “Ehhh, no!”
Muted laughs from his colleagues, vendors of this prestigious brand of luxury stores, which is preparing for the reopening and training of their managers and vendors in welcome rituals, with a mask. We all understand that Peter didn’t necessarily think about putting on his pants before attending training! So I designate another employee to accompany Susan on the sketch.
Since March 20, some pioneer companies in the professional training sector have accelerated videoconferencing mastering Teams and Zoom.
Online training, this does not work, SINCE …
- Trainers encourage their audiences in face-to-face training, while the context has radically changed.
- The participants’ ability to concentrate is much more random, and the loss of attention can sometimes be as high as 100%.
- Students often feel less concerned.
- The sessions seem boring.
There are sufficient reasons in any case to think about various decision makers (HRD, Commercial Directors, Training Directors …).
- The development of managerial and commercial skills requires a support that is not allowed by distance learning.
- It is a form of discounted training.
- If the returns of the formations with our best suppliers are 9/10, at online they will surely not be more than 7/10.
Online training, this does not work, UNLESS…
There are many reasons why online training has to be treated as a specific modality at the level of communication, oratory and technical complexity. At CapKelenn we consider that online learning has been an important source in recent years to acquire professional knowledge and skills. The emergence of the Covid-19 has accelerated this process and today companies face the challenge of adapting their trainers and their work teams to this training modality. Online training does not work in the traditional face-to-face style and cannot be left to free improvisation. Online training does not work that way, UNLESS …
Journey
Unless online training is part of a journey that also includes prior preparation, subsequent commitments and implementation support, ideally individual. This may include previous readings, checklists, note cards, available on campus and live in chat.
Time distribution
Unless the time distribution is adapted. It is very difficult to maintain a concentration of 7 hours in Video Training. We prefer 2 half days of 3:30 each with a 10-15 minute break.
Minute 1
Unless the trainer knows how to capture the participants’ attention from the beginning. After 1 minute, the trainer must have heard each participant’s voice and have them write at least 1 word in the chat. It is a way of presenting the relationship, especially if it involves words related to the course. It’s the check-in. Animation is even more important than face-to-face. Convey interest from the first second to the last breath, manage the tempo.
Involvement
Unless the student really becomes the protagonist and has the opportunity, even bodily, to get involved. For example, in webinars for 90 people, we all sing and dance (in karaoke) to the delight of the participants in the subsequent surveys.
Game rules
Unless game rules and even an alliance are established: and request the written agreement of all to chat based on these rules.
Bidirectionality
Unless participation is bidirectional for everyone. The animator encourages everyone’s participation by encouraging short responses and, in any case, avoiding, for example, that a participant does not monopolize the speech for too long. Because, here again, the others can leave.
Technique
Unless the trainer masters the technique: screen sharing, rooms for subgroups, screens developed jointly. The listener can reply after just 4-5 seconds when he sees the animator hesitate. Of course, if this happens, the animator will know how to escape with a touch of humour, but it is better to train against the current.
Chat
Unless the chat allows a medium of exchanges: both collective and individual (private messages).
Live evaluations
Unless live evaluations and quizzes are used: CapKelenn students are familiar with our famous Test Express. Zoom enables these express online surveys that enable individual awareness and sharing in the eyes of the group.
Educational engineering
Unless educational engineering combines deductive, inductive and master methods. Online learning can make people think perfectly, transmit content, involve action.
Live recording
Unless live recording is possible to analyse together: the recorded video is a new resource, superior to face-to-face training (with the agreement of the participants, of course, it is part of the rules of the game). It allows, for example, to record a 5-minute live role play and see it again with the protagonists, gut it, in a coach mode, of course (how did you feel? What were you excellent at? What could you have done better? Super powerful! And this video can be sent to the participants. A sales manager last week used this video for all these regional relaunch meetings.
Materials
Unless the support material is even more design, professional and fun than on-site. For example, supporting videos work well as long as the sound of the trainer’s computer is connected correctly (not the ambient sound).
Impact
Unless the impact is punchy, especially for short formats. In webinars, we have to get to the point. This is the speaker’s profession adapted to online learning. The speaker must be even more professional, in impact, time management, supports, millimetre transitions. I attended a 1 hour webinar last week as a listener. There were 72 of us and the speaker felt compelled to ask everyone’s expectations for this session; 7 people intervened and lasted 25 minutes; time management was miserable and there was a loss of enthusiasm after just 4 minutes, for attendees who invested 1 hour of their (precious) time.
A formidable opportunity
As you can see, online training seems to me a formidable opportunity for companies, students and training organizations because it corresponds to the environment of teleworking.
Companies (for example, in commerce, which is our specialty in CapKelenn) must accelerate training to impregnate the new expected behaviours: health, new relationships with clients and collaborators, greater autonomy of collaborators in teleworking, etc.
Whenever:
- Keep getting 9/10 on student satisfaction.
- Have specialist trainers-coaches, even better than face-to-face.
If your company invites you to an online CapKelenn training, be sure to wear pants! Because we can question you at any time, as if we were speaking in person 😉
Also, during the final dance (because we can even dance together at Zoom), Peter had conveniently put on his pants!
CapKelenn in luxury retail
CapKelenn is the primary certification in Retail Coaching worldwide, certifying managers in Retail to really become coaches for their sales teams, facilitating the transition towards a supreme clienteling savoir-faire. CapKelenn delivers the certification in 12 languages on all the 5 continents. CapKelenn accelerates change, thanks to people, with results that are fast, visible and sustainable, contributing to fertilize a client experience that is memorable and personalized.
PCC (Professional Certified Coach of ICF) and a professional trainer for CapKelenn Retail Coaching
