IS THE ONLINE SHIFT STILL RELEVANT?

Let’s unpack this…

Two years after the world came to a halt, many of us are still in a state of flux as far as working and learning online. So in my opinion, The Online Shift is just as relevant today as it was when everyone had to first pivot.

It’s still happening.

Some resisted, others shifted and there are those who only wanted to be online for work and learning until they could get back to in person. Some are thrilled to be working and learning in person again, others are still a bit reluctant, but the time has come for many to get back out there.

The hybrid consideration.

When you’re going to be working with a mix of both in-person and online, you must be mindful to keep it engaging for everyone. It’s more complex to create engaging experiences for a mixed or blended audience, but it just takes a bit more intentional thought and preparation.

Offer both plans.

If you have a program that you’ve created for online and have some great engagement tools, keep that intact, but think about how you can easily turn that into an in-person offering as well. Usually, a few small tweaks will work, like if an activity that requires annotation online, you might need to use a flip chart in person. Always be sure to keep both options ready so that you can quickly accommodate one or the other.

Give everyone a bit more time.

When you get back to in-person training, you’ll want to schedule appropriately. Be sure to give people more time to get to their breakout rooms, have table changes for activities and just enjoy being together in the same room.

They will get fatigued.

Be prepared for the fact that people may be tired quickly. It’s been a while since a lot of us have been in a crowd and interacted with others on a larger scale than who they live with. Be gentle with your attendees as well as yourself. Although some people may also really thrive in this context.

Backup options.

Always, and I can’t stress this enough, always keep your backup options open. You never know when the weather will turn, there might be an issue with the venue or your participants. Keep your options open and have a good backup plan just in case.

Sometimes online, other times in-person.

There will be times when you are happy to work from your studio and other times when you’ll be thrilled to get out there to be surrounded by your participants. Either way, making small changes can create an exciting experience for both yourself and your participants.

The Online Shift is relevant!

This is where the over 101 quick tips included in my new book The Online Shift: 101 Pro Tips for Online Facilitators, Workplace Trainers & Virtual Speakers, will help!. Let’s see where you can make those small tweaks to improve but more importantly to see how far we’ve all come. There are tips in the book that you might not have thought of and you can review the great things that you’ve implemented so far and done really well with.

Meetings to come.

Getting back to in-person meetings is exciting, scary and a welcome change all at the same time. Whether you are looking forward to gathering again or aren’t quite ready to embrace a large crowd, don’t discount the online experience. There will always be room for both and we must make sure to have the option of each available for our clients.

Take into consideration…

Don’t throw out the online opportunities, because they will definitely still continue to have a time and place. And for those of you who resisted many of you are now realizing that there’s always going to be room for online. Providing workshops, training, meetings, and teaching instruction in this digital space, we must continue to do it well and create the opportunity to turn our audience into participants!

Hot Bonus Tip:

Keep your options open and have a good backup plan just in case. For example, if you will be in-person, what is the expectation to shift quickly online? How will you communicate the last-minute change?

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In Case You Missed It: How My Book Came To Be

Author

Patricia Regier, MEd is the Online Expert who’s built a career on the belief that training and online learning doesn’t have to be boring. As Owner of Regier Educational Services and with a Master of Adult Education, Patricia is known for making her audience feel empowered, engaged, courageous and confident. Her debut book and keynote, The Online Shift teaches newcomers to the online space and seasoned professionals alike how to optimize their online presence and maximize engagement. She’s tried, tested and refined using the latest behavioral science, research and psychology to make sure your next online experience is a hit!