Lockdown 2.0 is here in the UK as it is in many countries, and teams everywhere are working from home again. 

Lockdown or no lockdown, since the pandemic, many teams have been communicating virtually; a trend which is set to continue for the foreseeable future.  

The challenge for team leaders is how to unite their teams who, in some cases, are in different parts of the world.  

Organisations who hoped that once the pandemic is ‘over’ that team training will go back to normal now need to up their game – but don’t worry, there are many tools available to do this.  

A bespoke virtual workshop is a great way to deliver training on specific skills to your team across the globe.  

Before we begin, let’s define a couple of terms. We typically refer to Webinars as virtual learning experience in a larger group of 12+ participants, where interaction is based around polling, chat boxes and a input from the facilitator. These are a great way of learning specific skills in a scalable way!  

We then refer to the live implementation sessions in smaller groups as virtual workshops, where the interaction level is even higher and the participants are applying new skills to real-life scenarios.  

So how can virtual workshops benefit you and your teams? 

1. They Are Easy To Implement 

In-person events are going to be one of the casualties of the coronavirus until the vaccines are available to the public on a mass scale. Until then, virtual is the way to fill current and future skills and capability gaps.  

By the way, if you are interested in running your online session as a virual workshop and are looking for a few tips and tricks, we have created a guide for you which you can read here. 

A training event run by either yourself or an experienced external learning partner such as ourselves is such an easy way to get your team developing essential skills, especially in a time when new skills are critical to business performance.  

An external partner can deliver the training your team needs with ease, thanks to the fantastic tools that are available. 

All learners will need is their computer or laptop, a camera, a microphone and a pen and paper to take part in any exercises.  

So, virtual learning is easy to implement – but is it effective? 

2. They Can Be More Effective Than In-Person Events 

Since the pandemic, there has been a lot of speculation as to whether digital communication impacts performance.  

Well, studies have shown what many of us suspected – that virtual training is more effective than in-person.  

eLearning Industry found that 56% of students were more satisfied with online versus in-person training,  

Additional research found that learners rated virtual learning experiences as ‘as or more engaging’ than traditional classroom learning.  

Studies show that the virtual technologies which are available to trainers now are a valuable tool to help deliver learning that sticks.  

It’s important to note that virtual events can be more effective, but only when when it has been dsigned effectively and especially when it is part of a learning journey that supports embedding new skills. Sitting on zoom for 2 days for an event that hasn’t been re-designed for the virtual environment is not the way to go!   

3. It Combats the Forgetting Curve 

The forgetting curve is the mathematical formula which documents how effectively our brains can store information. You can grab a copy of a white paper we wrote on this subject here too. 

Learning serves an evolutionary purpose; we are programmed to seek out new information to help us grow and be more successful than our counterparts – survival of the fittest in motion. 

But, the human brain is so powerful that it will find shortcuts to this learning. It is unimpressed when we show it the same information over and over and thus is programmed to seek out and remember information that is new and that stands out. 

The forgetting curve states that humans will only retain around 20% of what they learn in a classroom six days later.  

Virtual learning combats this if designed effectively.  

The way that information is presented in a virtual setting allows the training to be far more effective than 20% too. The ability for learners to go at their own pace when provided with recordings and on-demand content gives the opportunity to repeat parts of their learning also renders it more effective. 

4. Increased Accessibility 

And finally, another benefit of using virtual workshops for training purposes is that it allows the learning to be more accessible.  

In-person training can be limited in the reach that it has – not everyone learns the same way or indeed can participate in classroom learning.  

Virtual communication and remote working culture have been praised for championing diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and virtual training is another great example of how the workplaces of the future will be more accessible. 

People with different learning styles, people who can’t attend training because they are on a different flexible schedule, people with disabilities – they can all benefit from the accessibility of virtual learning, which they can do in a location of their choosing when on-demand content is provided.  

Finally 

Using virtual workshops to deliver training is the path that many organisations are choosing in light of the pandemic. 

But the pandemic has only been the catalyst for what was already happening in the training world. 

There are so many benefits to both the employer and the employee when virtual workshops are used for training rather than in-person events. However we do understand that some content is still greatly enhanced with face-to-face events. And many participants are craving this human interaction! For this reason, we do have a ‘return to the classroom’ policy to support our participants with face to face learning as soon as you feel it is safe and appropriate to do so. 

If you would like to know more about our virtual training programmes and how they can help your business to maintain excellence through vital training during this business-critical time, get in touch with us today.  

You can get in touch with us by calling 01628 488 854 or contact us here.  

Thanks 

Tom 

P.S. If you would like to attend one of our complimentary taster leadership workshops, call us on +44(0) 1628488 854. 

About Excel Communications   

LEARN, GROW, SUCCEED  

Excel Communications is a learning and development consultancy based near London in the U.K. For more than 30 years; we have been collaborating with clients across the globe.  

Partnering with Excel empowers you to evolve your people and business by fuelling a love for learning.   

We work with you to create unforgettable, customised learning experiences to achieve your vision of success and growth, with tangible results.   

View our case studies here.   

We have a team of expert trainers delivering programmes across five continents in multiple languages. Call us now on +44 (0) 1628 488 854.   

Important   

If you would like to watch our leadership masterclass recordings, you can access the latest leadership complimentary guide here.