7/14/2010A few people have asked me lately, in general terms, what is SharePoint?
I usually tell them "it's a web-based collaboration tools that improves corporate efficiency by providing a central place that everyone can get information, and put information."
Here are some other links:
6/30/2010
When we offer Office productivity training, our clients experience a challenging trade-off. They know they need to save time, perform better and improve results. However their need to save time is often so pressing that it there is no time for training. Even though the training would save them time! Hence they feel caught in a catch-22 situation where they don't have time to save time.
So are these people doomed to be in fire-fighting mode forever?
My advice in this case is to chip away at it. Take whatever steps you can to gain little improvements which will free up some time, and then leverage that to take additional training or implement larger process improvements. Yes, it can be painful at first but it works.
With this in mind, I have decided to share a description of a client training program we recently completed that, I believe, provides an innovative program structure to train all of their staff on their new computer systems in a cost-effective and timely manner.
The program focuses on short, intense instructor-led courses that are paced to engage quick learners. A pre-course assessment helps us identify the number of beginner, intermediate and advanced users and then place them into groups that match their skill level.
We understand that this pre-course preparation is not enough as any generic one-size-fits-all approach will not accommodate learners who need more time to retain new skills. Therefore we compliment our our classroom training with a variety of ongoing training opportunities. The key is to keep these opportunities optional to ensure that people’s time and money is not consumed unnecessarily.
The most obvious training opportunities are additional in-depth instructor-led group sessions and one-on-one training sessions, which are available for people with specific needs and for those who want to specialize in certain topics.
The less obvious opportunities centre on post-course support, which includes searchable online manuals, eLearning libraries and Ask-an-Instructor webinars. Techniques for efficient use of these tools are taught in every class to empower people with the knowledge of where to go to find answers to their questions. This reduces the amount of time they spend searching for solutions which in turn opens up more time for productive work.
Please read the proposal excerpt below to explore these concepts in more detail.
The following is an excerpt from a proprietary proposal, so please do not copy for commercial purposes. This is for your information only.
Training Approach
Sector has taken the lead on many Windows/Office Upgrade training projects, mostly for BC Government. For example, in a 2009 engagement we designed and delivered a custom upgrade course for <client-name>. We plan to draw heavily upon that success, and others, to apply a similar approach.
The core of the <client-name> course that made it so successful and cost effective, was a blended learning approach that combined a half day of fast-paced delivery, with online eLearning and searchable manuals to supplements, and additional in depth courses, if required. See the figure below.
Course Outline
Sector specializes in custom Microsoft course development and delivery. In order to deliver the best possible results we will consult with <client-name> specialists to determine the best course content, and customize your course based on that knowledge.
We are proposing a short, intensive delivery style as detailed and illustrated below:
- Web-based pre-course Assessments done by all target learners. The results of these assessments will be used to decide if there will be a need for more than one target audience. This assessment, and discussions with <client-name> SME's will allow us to refine this proposal into a optimal course design, including course length, specific references to <client-name> standards, policies, and technologies, and the exact topics to be covered in class.
- A half day classroom experience will combine instructor demonstrations and hands-on training. This style of teaching is fast-paced and intense to maximize engagement of the quicker learners, but provides many references to post-class learning aids, and additional courses, to provide a sense of comfort to the learners who will need more help.
- A key part of the classroom handouts is a section on "Where to get more Help". These resources include searchable PDF manuals on <client-name> servers, searchable eLearning libraries and more. See Course Materials for more detail.
- Deep-dive courses will be offered and encouraged for those specialists and individuals who want more in-depth training on a particular course. For example:
- 1-1 training for individual, specific, or urgent needs
- Excel 2010 Essentials (two days). Similar to Office 2007 version details here.
- Word 2010 Level 1 (one day). Similar to Office 2007 version details here.
Class Size
We have found optimal class size for hands-on training is between four and eight participants. Sector has two classrooms fully configured for hands-on training. Training Room 1 is normally set-up for eight (8) learners but can be expanded to 10 if required. Training Room 2 is configured for four (4) learners.
If you have a desire for larger groups and a venue that will accommodate them, classes could be expanded up to 18 learners per session.
At Sector our Learning Guarantee states that we will not cancel a course, even if there is only one registrant. When courses become 1-1 sessions we reduce the class length to a half day. We are willing to maintain this same policy for <client-name>.
Course Materials
Sector uses high-quality, integrated course materials under license from Custom Guide Inc. These full-colour manuals will be delivered in soft copy (PDF) prior to the instructor-led courses. We recommend you install these manuals on a server so that immediately following (or even before) a course, your staff can search manuals for specific "how-to" information. Our instructors will refer to the manuals throughout the course.
The following are the key learning aids attached to this training:
Course Hand-outs (hard copy)
- Course overview
- Course outline
- Space for notes
- How to access post-course support tools
- Where to get help
Course manual (searchable soft-copy)
- Full manuals (not just the specific topics being taught in class) for Windows 7, Word 2010, and Excel 2010
- Full colour and full featured
- Delivered in PDF soft-copies, to be installed on <client-name> servers
- Hard-copy on request for an additional fee
Quick-reference guides
- Hard copy, full colour laminated for Windows 7, Word 2010, PowerPoint 2010, and Excel 2010
Searchable web-based eLearning reference library from Custom Guide.
- For Windows 7 and Office 2010 (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and when available, Outlook)
- Complete library, not just the specific topics being taught in class
- Include lessons and quizzes.
- Lessons are three-five minutes long, to be used as learning or refresher tools.
- See sample here: http://www.customguide.com/demo/launch.wbt.php?lesson=win_v7_10_13
- Note that Microsoft eLearning may accomplish a similar function. However our proposed eLearning library is matched to course materials and assessments and therefore allows continuity of examples and 1-1 correspondence between needs and lessons. Also, several of our clients have told us the Custom Guide eLearning is of higher quality than Microsoft eLearning products.
Web-based Instructor Q&A pages
Monthly Ask-an-Instructor webinar
- Last Friday of the month
- Delivered on-line using Live Meeting technology
- One hour in duration
- Helps alumni to stay current.
Learning Outcomes
The overarching training goal as stated is "take users from current skill level in Windows XP/Office 2003 to the same level in Windows 7/Office 2010".
Specific Learning Outcomes will be defined by working with <client-name> staff and Subject Matter Experts, and as a result of Pre-Course Assessments. The following serves as a generalizing and starting point.
- Get up and running quickly (less than one day to start)
- Quickly develop a comfort level with the fundamentals and philosophy (the "thinking behind") the new tools
- Learn how to learn: provide links to eLearning, manuals, future course offerings, and sufficient understanding of concepts and terms to allow staff to self-educate and/or choose future education events
- Have an understanding (through assessments) of <client-name> staff skill levels going into the training, and coming out. A specific learning outcome would be an at least 30% increase in skills in the topics taught in the workshop.
Assessments
As part of our integrated courseware package, we can offer on-line (web-based), fully interactive assessments. Detailed results, by user and topic, are reportable using our online tool. Assessments are integrated with instructor-led and on-line course materials, using similar examples and lesson structure.
Try a sample Assessment here.
For the purposes of assessing <client-name> staff, and offering exactly the right training, we propose:
1. Pre-program Assessment to be done by all staff prior to training start. The results will be used both to a) refine course design and b) provide a baseline for comparison.
2. Post-course Assessment to be done by each class to allow course content to be continually refined against individual, per-class, and cumulative results. In particular, we will seek a measured improvement in assessed scored of 30%.
Online Course Scheduling and Registration System (optional)
Sector can quickly set-up a web based course scheduling and registration system that will greatly simplify the complex task of scheduling all <client-name> staff into courses.
In a website dedicated to <client-name>, each course is listed by date and topic, and registrants self-select their desired course and date. They then automatically receive confirmation emails which include details about how to cancel or reschedule. This tool can also be configured to provide and on-line course evaluation (Kirkpatrick Level 1 Evaluation) electronically, thus greatly simplifying reporting.
This is an excerpt from a proprietary proposal, so please do not copy for commercial purposes, it is for your information only. For information, please contact Gerry Briamcombe at gerry@sectorlearning.com or 250-727-2266. 6/7/2010As my long term clients know, I have a pragmatic approach to learning. I chose the name "Sector Learning Solutions" for my business because I wanted to emphasize our focus on learning as a continual process, instead of a means to an end. At Sector, we are governed by the belief that the training we provide is not over at the end of class. If we truly want to provide an effective solution to your learning needs (and yes, we truly do), an ongoing series of events is necessary to retain new skills so that the ultimate outcome of producing  positive change in your life through efficiency, productivity and job satisfaction can be achieved.
To this end, I am continually working to improve the classroom experience, and generate new ideas to increase overall reinforcement and retention of learning. Graduates of Sector's Innovation Workshop understand that one must continually seek improvement to avoid becoming complacent. The classic business novel Good To Great (Jim Collins, 2001) sums up this principle in the first chapter by stating: "good is the enemy of great."
Our most basic approach to helping clients retain knowledge has been to follow the guidelines of our Learning Guarantee, which includes thirty days of free email support from our instructors. This "email us and we will help you" approach still stands, but is rarely used by clients.
So, about 18 months ago, I got together with my friends at WCS Webconferencing Solutions to devise a way to effectively host refresher classes online. Although I firmly believe that face-to-face interaction is the most effective method of communication I understand that facilitating refresher classes onsite at Sector is not the best option for the business or our clients. Running free monthly refresher sessions online requires no travel time and no classroom space. Furthermore the ability to interact in real time and compliment explanations with graphics, diagrams and live video makes the process an effective method to communicate concepts.
Therefore I am pleased to unveil our new online learning-retention program: Ask-an-Instructor, which will be available to all of our clients in two parts:
- Unlimited online access to the Ask-an-Instructor forum is included in the price of every course. This is a new tool we have to facilitate communication between learners and instructors, and to capture answers to client-generated questions. As a user you can search for answers from a database of information, or if you can't find what you seek, submit a question, which will be answered in no more than two-business-days. Anything we teach is up for discussion.
- We will hold monthly online instructor-led Ask-an-Instructor sessions that use all the features of an online eClass, including screen sharing, polling, and sharing web pages to:
- answer some of the more interesting and frequently asked questions from the Ask-an-Instructor Forum
- show some new tips or tricks
- address any questions from the participants
Our first session will take place on: June 25, 2010 from 9:30 am-10:30 am. The sessions are free, but please click here to register online so we can track registration numbers.
Can't make it to the webinar? We will be recording each session and posting the video in the Ask-an-Instructor forum for future reference.
What are your comments, ideas, or suggestions? Please comment here or email gerry@sectorlearning.com.
5/18/2010Here's a tip, via the magic of a four-minute video, how to use Office 2007 SmartArt to make a picture worth 10,000 words:
Click here to view video.
This video has audio, but can be viewed with sound off as well 5/17/2010
As most of you know, my favourite course to teach is SharePoint. But you may not know that I have a Graduate Certificate in Project Management from Royal Roads University (RRU).
As the number of SharePoint projects I am working on increases, I am noticing an intersection between my real world experiences and my classroom teaching.
When starting a project, naturally, the first thing I do is build a SharePoint site to improve collaboration and communication.
(Keep in mind that the Gartner Group consistently reports poor communication as the number one reason, statistically speaking, that projects fail. Therefore I emphasize the importance of streamlined collaboration and clear communication in my SharePoint classes and apply it in my projects.)
One of the SharePoint projects I'm doing is for a large client in northern BC. We are holding meetings via Live Meeting (web conferencing) and using email, but most importantly we are using SharePoint to assist with up-to-date collection and dissemination of project information.
In about an hour I built a project site with shared documents, contacts, calendars, and the meat of the site set up as a simple SharePoint wiki. Every meeting is documented (starting with an agenda that is filled in with notes during the meeting) in the wiki, and stored alongside the project work plan (originally built in Word, but pasted into wiki pages once signed off) and a paperless, collaborative requirements document forever (and easily) accessible on SharePoint, in real time.
The following is an overview of some SharePoint concepts and constructs and how they relate to Projects and Project Management:
-
One Stop Shop: SharePoint is designed to be a central repository of a variety of information. If your project team can call one place "home" then they are able, and more likely, to find the information they need, quickly when they need it.
-
One Version of the Truth: SharePoint is much more than a document management tool, yet it serves this basic purpose well. If used properly, there is one current version of the document stored in a place that everyone can access. The key is to not have different versions of documents stored in different places, such as on different servers, in your email box, on your desktop. The confusion and wasted effort of finding the most current version or accidentally using an outdated version is a royal pain. One way to prevent this is from occurring is to send a link to the SharePoint document rather than sending the actual document via email.
 Document Management Tools: SharePoint also provides document versioning to automatically capture changes, including who made them and when. It also provides a simple "check-out/check-in" capability that allows documents to be flagged when in use, which helps team members maintain that one version of the truth (see above).
-
Microsoft Office Integration: The 2007 and 2010 versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, Visio, and Outlook are all "SharePoint aware" and contain a bunch of timesaving features. For example, in Word 2007 you can easily compare two versions of a file stored on SharePoint, or post to a SharePoint Blog (like this one!).
-
Shared Calendars: Keeping track of schedules can be a challenge, especially if your team is not using the same Exchange server. SharePoint allows everyone on your team to read and edit shared calendars that can be sync'ed with Outlook.
-
 Task Lists: The task list in SharePoint has the ability to email a person when a task is assigned to them, along with a link back to the specific task for quick detail referencing and edits. Straight out of the box, the tasks lists have several categories including priority, owner, start date, due date, status, comments, etc., and, like all lists in SharePoint, are completely customizable, which makes creating a field to track costs associated with tasks as easy as a click of the mouse.
-
Issues Log: Similar to the task list, the issues log is used for tracking issues and risks. Items can be "associated" or linked as related issues.
-
Contact lists: Successful projects are all about good communication. SharePoint can be used to capture contact information for every member of your team in a list that can be easily updated by every team member. This list is easily connected to Outlook so contact information is always accessible  and automatically synchronized.
- Alerts: Any and all of the above can be quickly configured to email you (and your team members) when changes occur such as a document is updated, a task completed, an issue assigned to you, or whatever.
This is just a glimpse of how SharePoint can be used for project management, and there's a lot more that I will cover in a future post. Keep in mind that there are several hosted SharePoint solutions, and if you own a Microsoft Server product, you can download and install the 'foundations' version of SharePoint for free.
I hope these comments incite and excite you to try SharePoint, or start using it more fully. If you do, here is a "best practices" document that Sean Wallbridge and I put together for SharePoint use in general.
Share with you soon!
Gerry Brimacombe
gerry@sectorlearning.com 3/16/2010
I am writing this blog post on my iPhone while sitting on an airplane that is waiting for takeoff from Victoria to Prince George. I know, I know ... Prince George is not a typical “destination port” but I am looking forward to this particular client consultation.
As I sit back and type away on the palm sized screen, I recall when all my friends were getting answering machine – yes, my memory is that good - and then, a few years later, cell phones. In both cases the discussion focused on one main point: is this particular piece of technology tying you down or setting you free? Does the technology provide an 'anchor' or a 'sail'?
There was a time when I said, "There is no way that I’m getting a cell phone - I will never get away from work because they will always be able to call me!” But later I realized, in both senses of the word, that the cell phone set me free - I could be anywhere and still stay in touch with my office, and using voicemail and caller ID allowed me to choose if I wanted to be reached or not.
Ok, hang on! We're about to take off...
Please forgive me for my messy typing- this flight is a bit rough. I've switched the iPhone to 'airplane mode' and am grooving to some BB King while I continue to type this post in my notes app.
I still hear a few people talk like technology is 'an anchor' that holds them down, but these experiences are now few and far between. Now that your mobile phone is also an address book, calendar, camera, gaming system, web browser, music player, and ... well ... a notebook, for situations just like this, all the naysayers, Luddites, and technophobes in our midst are running out of thing to complain about. The biggest challenge now is not whether technology is able to perform a function; it is figuring out what the best tech is and learning how to use it.
And as I look out the window at the Strait of Georgia, it seems not even the 'sky' is the limit anymore.
On the way to the airport my wife asked me if this is beginning of a longer project and the first of many trips. “Yes and no,” I replied. “The SharePoint development project will last a few months, and we hope there will be follow-on maintenance, training, and support work.”
"And No", I told her, "I don't plan on travelling back there anytime soon. With SharePoint and Live Meeting we can and should do it all remotely."
You see, Sector’s eClass format includes remote training; which is especially important for this client since they use SharePoint as a communication and collaboration tool linking small communities in a large province, with a long winter that makes travel very difficult. The very nature of SharePoint makes remote online learning the best tool, as long as it is also best for the people.
***
I'm in Vancouver now, typing on my laptop. The trip to Prince George was very successful and on the flight back I met a homicide detective on his way home.
That was an interesting conversation. This particular cop – a few years from retirement – was a fan of technology although apparently not all of his colleagues are. In particular he talked about the Blackberry and the time they can save and results they can improve. He was also a big fan of OneNote and he spoke of the two sides of the "note taking argument." Some detectives still want a notebook, handwritten and spiral bound that they can flip through. My seatmate, his partner, and many others, have instead adopted notebook computers (or tablet PCs) and use tools such as OneNote. The advantages as he described are significant: all notes in one place, rather than spread across many paper books, the ability to have them backed up to servers and tape, better legibility, and highly searchable documents. He described one instance where a name was mentioned in relation to an investigation. He remembered that he had heard that name before but couldn't recall if it was a suspect, a witness, or what. He did a search on OneNote (which, as you may know, also searches in images and voice memos) and found the reference in a minute, as compared to an hour and a half (he said) it would have taken him flipping through paper notebooks.
But the biggest point he came back to several times, which happens to be one of my favourite things about technology, was how the notes he took could be easily cut-and-pasted into reports, search warrants, affidavits, etc. The time saved alone is significant, not mention the improved accuracy. And of course the OneNote notebook is shared with his partner so they can both copy and paste. Try doing that with a steno pad!
 So as I type this and reflect on the last few days of travel, I am excited about what technology does for me, and what it can do for others. In my chosen profession I help build human capability by teaching and recommending solutions. These teachings and recommendations usually involve technology, if that's what makes sense. I look at the efficiencies gained, balanced against the frustration of the occasions that tech tools don't work the way we want, often because we're not sure how to make them work, and am encouraged along that path. In my opinion, technology provides incredible opportunities to set you sailing, if you know how to open the window. ;-)
Enjoy the trip!
Gerry
P.S. Parts of this blog were presented at the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. I love giving these kind of talks, especially about SharePoint, Collaboration and Innovation. Email gerry@sectorlearning.com if you would like a presentation for your organization. 2/1/2010
A Tale of Two Solutions
One of my colleagues recently approached me with a question about setting up a standard signature (footer) in Outlook. He had been told by his web development company that to install a signature for 35 staff, it would cost $4,000. Each signature was to include a logo, name, title and individual contact  information, but I thought I could do better than that.
Outlook signatures are stored right inside Outlook so, there is definitely a manual step (or several) required.
After two hours work, using Word, Excel, Outlook, and Jing (www.jingproject.com), I devised a solution that combined the power of MS Office with the empowerment of the staff. The keys to getting this done quickly and easily were email merge and an instructional video. The Word and Excel merge allowed us to easily set a standard, build a personalized footer for each employee, and email it to them with instructions. A two minute Jing video was included in the email to explain how to install the footer in Outlook themselves.
Now granted, the web development company probably planned to build 35 footers in HTML, and then install them in each person's Outlook. Other than stepping out of the way for a few minutes, there would be nothing more for the users to do. In my much cheaper solution, each user will watch a 2 minute video and take another 1 or 2 minutes to install the signature. So there is the "hidden cost" of a few hours of company time (spread across 35 employees), but probably justifiable. And the good news is that the users are empowered with knowledge to change and maintain their own signatures. They have learned along with getting the job done.
And of course, by using Word's email merge technology, it is easy for my client to create, and maintain, a standard footer format. If he wasn't familiar with mail-merge, he will be now and he can use it in other areas of his business (extra bonus feature!).
Technology the Multiplier
 It is important to recognize that pushing technology out to everyone in your company has a multiplier effect. If what you give everyone takes 5 minutes, multiply that by your number of employees and the time adds up quickly. However, look at the outcome: what if those 5 minutes spent means that every employee doesn't need to spend an hour figuring something out or searching for something or rebuilding something that is already done? Or, what if those 5 minutes spent means the employee saves 5 minutes every day from that point forward? Talk about a multiplier effect: 5 minutes a day is 1,000 minutes over an average work year- that's more than two work days per year!
And of course that is just the TIME aspect of it. What about the intangible benefits of standardization, of higher job satisfaction because of less "menial" work, and a better presentation of the whole company as being consistent.
Lately I have also been doing a lot of is SharePoint related consulting and training. The multiplier effects are huge when your culture adopts the rule "SharePoint is the place I put stuff where people can find it, and find stuff people have put there." No more calling people up and asking them to email you such-and-such a document, or worse yet, rebuilding that document that someone already built and saved on their own computer.
Think about these multipliers in everything you do. Think about technology as a huge lever, or a hindrance, to achieving the possible multipliers in your company.
Think about empowering your users to save time over time.
I am really excited about using video technology more and more, because if a picture is worth 1,000 words, then a video is worth about 100,000! 1/6/2010
We've been training SharePoint administrators for quite a few years now, and have had great success in fulfilling our mission of building human capability to produce positive change in organizations. However, there has been a piece missing for me and I think we might have a solution. (My clients are about to let me  know one way or the other.)
The thing is, attending a two day SharePoint administrator course is costly in both time and money. Sure, it is time and money well spent, but only for certain people. What about the unwashed masses that don't need to know how to build sites, customize lists, add users, or change the design? In an organization of hundreds, we might train two people in all the nuances of using and administering SharePoint. And we train them well. But when these two people go back to the office and apply all their skill, creativity and cunning to build a beautiful SharePoint site, and then roll it out to their organization, how does the rest of the company know what to do with this thing called SharePoint?
You see, SharePoint is a collaboration tool, and a darn good one. If you ask you average office staffer if they have experience with a word processor, they'll say "yes, Microsoft Word". If you ask them about spreadsheets, they'll say "Excel". But if you ask them if they have used a collaboration tool, many will give you a blank stare, even if their organization is using SharePoint. Why? Because "collaboration tools", at least by that name, are relatively new in our collective unconscious. I remember 20 years ago having experience with a "word processor" was a hot job skill to have. And I would bet my boots that 5 years from now, people with SharePoint skills will be very hot indeed (actually they already are in demand, so now you know I am not a bettin' man).
So what does the organization do with this new mission critical collaboration tool that has the power to transform the way they work, how people communicate, how institutional knowledge is captured, where and when people have access to current information? Well, until now, the practice has been to train the administrators and let the users figure it out for themselves. Or ask the administrators to coach and support the new users – which is even worse because oftentimes the admins are still learning, too. And if they do have the knowledge, they seldom have the time, patience, or teaching skills required to efficiently and effectively convey the core concepts required to get people up and running and feeling good about this scary new tool.
What's more, because SharePoint is a collaboration tool or a groupware application, by definition many people are sharing it, and as we all know, it's garbage-in-garbage-out: if people aren't in agreement on who, how, and why the software is used, then the usefulness of SharePoint is greatly reduced. What could really set the people free, instead becomes another place that they have to look for stuff.
And when people resist a new technology (our natural human tendency, let me assure you) then they are less likely to use it. And when some people don't use the new SharePoint installation it is less useful to everyone. In fact the investment the organization has made in this great new tool could be all gone to waste as the SharePoint users dwindle to a few pockets of die-hards or specialty users. According to Wikipedia:
"One of the biggest hurdles in implementing groupware applications within an organization is to achieve a high level of adoption from its members. Without clear commitment from top management any groupware implementation risks to fail. ... Training is required to make people comfortable using it, otherwise they may not use it."
So this has been bothering me. My clients can't afford the SharePoint Administrator course for all their staff, nor does everyone need it. However, everyone does need some sort of training, preferably in peer groups and at a low cost.
So this Christmas, I sketched out a SharePoint End User course. This is designed to be delivered face to face or online (our eClass – no travel required, which is ideal for SharePoint, which also requires no travel!). It is also affordable, time effective, non-technical, and designed to be taken by peer groups at once.
 I'm hoping this course will fill a niche that helps "everyone else" use SharePoint effectively and therefore exponentially increase the collaboration in our clients' organizations, and how well they function overall.
This "hot new course" is now posted on our website and is ready to go. Please comment here or email me (gerry@sectorlearning.com) with your thoughts, interest, or feedback.
Power to the PEOPLE!
Gerry Brimacombe
11/9/2009
It takes courage to let go of the familiar and embrace the new. Sector Learning Solutions has been working hard to preserve order amid the flurry of changes we've implemented this year.
We started in September with our office: knocking down cubical walls, repainting, and rearranging desks to provide you with an open, airy welcoming space for breaks.
Now we have launched a freshly redesigned website (with the help of IdeaZone.ca and Eruptik).
Please explore the new layout and tell us what you think - blog comments are always welcome!
What has not changed is Sector's Mission and Values and our focus on providing the best learning experience for our clients.
If you are having any difficulty with our new site, including registration or finding information, please call 250-727-2266 and we will assist you.
Welcome to the new frontier!
Gerry
10/1/2009I have been doing a lot of training with the web-conferencing tool Microsoft Live Meeting, both teaching people how to use the tool, as well as using the tool to teach. One question that comes up repeatedly is "how do you make sure people are paying attention?" I call this "engagement": are people following along with the PowerPoint slides, checking their email, or better yet, hanging off your every word? Since participants (also known as attendees, learners or your audience) are sitting at their own workstations and you can't (usually) see them, many of the common face-to-face engagement techniques aren't available to you.
As my friend Jeffrey used to ask "so what?" Why do I care about people paying attention or not? Well, first of all, most of my clients have paid for learning and therefore it behoves me to make sure they are getting their money's worth. If I have "lost them" they are not learning. That aside, let's face it: people just want to have fun! (kudos Cyndi  Lauper) If I can make the material interesting and exciting, then it becomes fun and engaging for me as well as the people in the room or online. Finally "why bother?" If we're not having fun and learning together, then why teach or attend the session? Let's not waste anyone's time!
So, how do I keep people engaged? Let me use bullets so it's easier for me to write, and you to follow:
- Be engaged yourself. Be excited about what you are discussing, before and during your presentation. Everyone picks up on the energy in the room.
- Use vocal variation. Speak loudly and softly. Make funny voices. Sing if you feel like it. Laugh whenever and wherever you can!
- Include visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic learning. I do a lot of technical training, which tends to involve colourful graphics and frequent movement of the mouse cursor. This appeals to the visual learners, but it is important to let participants speak and consciously ask for feedback to engage the auditory learners. I also like to introduce little rhymes or memes for the auditory folks. (In the SharePoint class, I tell them "there's no place like home".) For kinaesthetic learners, have them stand up and turn around to ask a question of the person behind them, do high-fives, or just use flipcharts to incorporate more body movement into the lesson. I also use a wooden pointer stick to add more interaction – I swing it around, tap the screen or board, and threaten to hit people with it (as a joke for course!).
- Here's a simple one: when someone asks a question, rather than walking closer to them, walk to the other side of the (front of) the room. This way, more of the room is between you and the asker, and you are more likely to draw others into the discussion, rather than excluding them.
- Ask Questions! One well known training-trainer, Blair Singer, asks about two questions a minute. Even if you don't pause for an answer, you have still engaged a different part of the brain, and people are more engaged.
- Respond to questions, respectfully. Be grateful for the question, it shows that the asker is curious about what you are talking about. Allow them to ask it fully (without letting them ramble) to ensure you understand the question. Then, ask the class if they have an answer to the question! This may seem like a dodge, but it is very empowering to the class that you can facilitate and not just be a "talking head." If the question is off-topic, make a note of it on a flipchart (or OneNote) and come back to it at a more appropriate time.
- Stay Humble. Avoid the temptation to be power-tripping in the class. You are not there to show off your knowledge but to make sure that everyone benefits from the experience as much as they are able.
- Tell stories. People relate to people. And just trying to cram in a bunch of content without showing your human side is, in my experience, a mistake. I usually slide a few personal stories in, preferably humorous, in an unplanned and spontaneous way. A little chit-chat goes a long way (for most people) to make the class more interesting and engaging.
- Be human. I tell people up front that I don't have all the answers and I always learn something new in class. And it's true! This sets the example that "hey, there's nothing wrong with learning, all the time!" And if you make a mistake, don't try to con them, come clean right away and laugh about it!
And here are some specific items for engagement in on-line meetings:
- Slow down. If you are demonstrating computer skills or doing any kind of screen sharing you need to take the time to allow people to keep up. Be explicit and go slow, and then you will be less likely to lose them. Because once lost, it is much harder to get them back on
 track!
- Keep them busy. Every 5 or 10 (max) minutes, give people something to do. Click on a button, answer a question, respond to a poll, or take over the screen. It doesn't matter much, as long as they are "doing something", not just sitting there listening (or not!)
- Be explicit. As your voice walks through the PowerPoint, use on-screen annotations to highlight the bullets as you discuss them. Use your mouse to point to things. Talk about everything you are doing. Unexplained silence is the second quickest way to lose an online group. (For the first quickest, see "slow down" above.) And once lost, they are hard to get back again: some people are quickly alienated.
- Test and support the technology. It's important that you know all the common things that can go wrong with the meeting software, audio and video systems. Practice techniques to explain and resolve issues remotely. You can't walk over and look over anyone's shoulder, so a technical problem can become a downward spiral very quickly.
- Check-in frequently. This might overlap with "keep them busy" above, but worth emphasizing. This is where silence can and should be used. Ask them if they have any questions or comments and make sure you allow enough time for people to unmute their phone, compose themselves and start asking. If you're too fast you might cut them off before they start! Remember, when people are lost or confused they often go silent so you may need to draw them out.
- Use two presenters. This is both to handle all that technical support stuff, as well as to give a variation in voices which makes it easier for attendees to pay attention.
I have outlined my thoughts here, and some recommendations, but I know that you have ideas and expertise, many of you far greater than mine, so please comment so we can learn together!
twitter.com/gbrim
facebook.com/gerry.brimacombe
www.thedynamicsector.com/GBlog
www.linkedin.com/in/sectorlearning
Gerry Brimacombe
|
|
|
|