How Effective is Training Over Zoom?

May 13, 2020 By 2 Comments

In this COVID-19 time, while many of our clients were canceling training programs, StarFish Medical continued investing in their staff by offering the scheduled training programs virtually.

In fact, Dave and I were very appreciative we could take advantage of a unique opportunity to hold two versions of the same program. One had already been held in person and we transitioned the second to a virtual session on the Zoom platform. This blog shares the lessons learned about in-person vs. virtual training during that experience.

The first time I was challenged to provide a learning opportunity to people at a distance was in 1991. I was teaching a continuing education course for the University of Calgary and there were 25 participants from across Alberta. We were using audio teleconference technology, and I delivered the session from a studio on campus, assisted by someone who handled the technology.

At the time, I was skeptical that this could be an effective or enjoyable experience for them or me, but I was in the middle of completing a PhD in adult learning and so relied on those principles to guide me. I discovered I was so wrong, and, over the years, I have floated back and forth between in-person and virtual learning experiences, both as a facilitator and learner.

Aside from this anecdote dating me terribly, the way I approach learning opportunities for people, whether in person or virtually, remains much the same. I continue to rely on adult learning principles, take the time to become familiar with the ever-changing technology if I’m delivering the session virtually, share who I am, and relax about the things that could go wrong.

In-Person and Virtual Reactions

The reactions to the sessions delivered in person and virtually were more or less the same – people were appreciative of the leadership systems thinking tool we introduced and the opportunities to apply it to their direct work context in dialogue with others.  It’s important to note that StarFish has invested in providing leadership training opportunities to all their staff, not just those in supervisory or management roles, and so we had a mix of functions/roles in both the in-person and virtual training session. Both sessions provided a rich opportunity for learning across functions about the dynamic nature of working and leading in complex environments.

What was most interesting, though, is that the virtual environment uncovered some additional layers of learning and interaction that did not come up in the in-person session. StarFish Director of People & Culture, Pamela Potts, attended both sessions: “This training series is an important cultural initiative for StarFish.  We didn’t want to delay it.  The first session was a “hybrid” session with some people in a room and some people on-line.  Inevitably, in a hybrid situation, one audience, usually the virtual one, is neglected in favor of the other, usually the in-person audience.  This format eliminated that whole problem. Virtual training leveled the playing field for our employees.”

Brainstorming – We provided a demonstration of the tool by doing a group brainstorm. During the in-person session, the brainstorm took a while to get going. During the virtual brainstorm, we asked people to type their answers into the chat and then I translated that to the shared whiteboard I was using. It seemed to me that we got more and faster participation using the chat function. My hypothesis is that the chat function is a bit “safer” than speaking out verbally in a session. Much has been written about the idea that virtual environments can be a more effective environment for introverts and that in-person activities can privilege extraverts.

Handling Questions – I found that questions from participants were more seamlessly built into the conversation virtually. We invited people to type their questions into the chat at any time and one of us monitored the chat and prompted the one presenting to answer a question. While we sometimes get this type of interaction in face to face environments, I wonder if, as with the point above, we privilege extraversion in the face to face environments.

Visual Learning – As part of a pairs break-out session, we had participants complete a mapping exercise. During the in-person training, we had people report out on the map, but we did not share those maps as we could not physically do this efficiently or easily in the training room. During the virtual session, pairs showed the “whiteboard” they had created while reporting out. Given that most of us are visual learners, this facilitated a greater understanding of the maps each pair had created.

Break-outs – A final surprising positive outcome in the virtual session is that the breakout rooms were more effective than the pairs conversation in the in-person environment! As several folks noted:

  • moving into and out of breakout rooms was very efficient in zoom compared to being in a meeting room
  • the breakout rooms actually work better than in person

Downsides – I noted a couple of downsides. One is related to the detailed planning that is needed on the part of the facilitator (more on that later). The second was pointed out by one of the participants:

  • downside of Zoom for me is the risk of multitasking

I am currently enrolled in a program being delivered online and I relate to this last comment. I need to work harder at remaining present in an online environment than I typically do in person.

 Top Tips for Virtual Sessions

  1. Apply adult learning principles to your design – When I prepare for a training session, whether in person or virtually, the guiding questions that distill the essence of adult learning principles for me are:
  • How can participants interact with the concepts?
  • How can I chunk this into 20-minute bites?
  • How can participants apply this to their work situation?
  • How can I incorporate what participants know?

The overall design for this session was the same in person as it was virtual. Tips #2 and #3 are key, though, in ensuring this design could work virtually.

  1. Take the time to learn the technology – We did an orientation with the technology and walked through our activities and how they would work. We spent a fair bit of time playing with the various features and anticipating transitions between activities. I also spent time setting up my work area so that the video was centered on me (not the ceiling!) and ensuring that the headset I used worked well.
  2. Extra hands are needed depending upon the level of interaction – Pamela provided great insight here suggesting that one of us deliver content, one of us monitor the chat function for questions and she would handle the break-out rooms. This worked very well for us. I don’t think that one person could have handled the various activities as efficiently and effectively as the three of us did. If you are delivering a less interactive session, with a presentation and a Q/A at the end, for example, you may not need as much help.
  3. Share who you are – Be “human and relatable” as a presenter, share your own vulnerabilities and learning, and use stories/anecdotes related to your content to provide a meaningful connection to participants. While this is true of in person training programs, it’s even more vital in virtual environments to humanize the use of technology.
  4. Relax about the things that could go wrong – Something will always go wrong, whether you are in person or virtual. I used to strive for a lot of perfection and now I am working on relaxing into being human. When the mistake or hiccup happens, just take a breath. In the grand scheme of life and what we are all facing right now in a COVID-19 world, the fact that I didn’t draw a straight line on the white board is a very small thing indeed.

COVID-19 has forced many organizations to transition to a virtual environment. When physical distancing is lifted there could be a natural pull back towards in-person vs. virtual training. If your company, like StarFish, already has remote employees, then virtual training could offer some surprising benefits over in-person training.

This blog was originally published on May 2, 2020 on the Starfish blog.

Filed Under: Change, communication, engagement, facilitation, teams Tagged With: , ,

Just Ignore that To Do List!

November 2, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Yes, you read that right! When I make this suggestion in my resilience workshops, the gasps and protests don’t take long to surface. It seems blasphemous in our multi tasking, addicted to busyness culture to suggest that one ignore the “to do” list.

Once people get over their shock, I explain that it isn’t a permanent state of affairs, but rather a conscious choice one needs to make on a regular basis. In my experience, the more driven I am by my to do list the more my health suffers. I experience a myriad of chronic, and seemingly unsolvable, problems like stomach issues, neck and shoulder pain, insomnia and migraines.

We live in a quick and easy fix, immediate gratification type of society where we turn to medical experts to help us with our health issues. I know I have certainly had my share of visits to the doctor. I’ve recently been exploring how the brain starts to wire itself towards pain when we feel threatened. There’s a lot to be threatened by today and so it’s no surprise that so many people I talk with experience these baffling health issues as well.

Our to do list can also be threatening, especially if it’s long and not achievable, includes tasks that are highly unpleasant that stay on the list for weeks or months, or just reminds us that we are never “done” no matter how hard we may have worked that day. I think these to do lists often provide us with the illusion that if we just do all these things, we can control events and prevent bad things from happening. I know that some of my clients are really threatened by NOT doing their to do list as they really believe very bad things will happen.

While world events might be beyond our control, our to do list is in our control. Give yourself a regular break from being driven by the to do list and see what happens. Or at the very least, take some items off the list that don’t need to be there. I let go of several big to dos in the last 6 months that were keeping me in a constant state of “not enough.” My health has definitely improved and I’ve certainly been enjoying life more … and, even more important, nothing bad has happened 😉 In fact, a couple of remarkable things have happened that probably wouldn’t have if I had kept to that list.

How is your to do list working for you?

Filed Under: Change, decision making, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, Resilience, Work Life Balance

How to Climb a Mountain

January 12, 2018 By Leave a Comment

“Take a look back … the view is spectacular,” my husband Dave suggested as I stopped in the middle of the path, sure I was about to pass out or fall backwards down the mountain. I was about a third of the way up the Bump and Grind and all I could see was the long path ahead of me.

“I can’t look now,” I sputtered. “I’ve got too far to go,” while thinking to myself that I wished I had never agreed to this … I wasn’t ready and it was too hard.  But I couldn’t really turn around now as I was deathly afraid of going down the steep side. I knew that if I got to the top I could descend on the less steep side.

I set off again on a mission to get to the top as fast as I could. And then stopped again, thinking I would pass out or fall. And then set off again … and, well, you get the picture. I did eventually get to the top and take a look down … it was spectacular and I was very proud that I had challenged myself to do this hike when I wasn’t entirely ready!

It seems to me this experience is a perfect metaphor for life. We can never be quite prepared to take on a challenge. All we can do is keep taking a step at a time (which BTW was what I kept telling myself on the way up. Just one more step, just one more step …) and eventually we will tackle that tough challenge.

But, while hiking down the gradual slope, I realized that I had missed out on a lot by my impatient, goal driven approach. I was trying to go too fast and it was taxing both my leg muscles and lung capacity too much. I also needed to give myself permission to stop occasionally, look around, enjoy what I was seeing AND celebrate the fact that I had made it that far. I really didn’t enjoy my trip up the mountain.

I see this all the time in my coaching practice. People striving for goals, trying to go too fast, not stopping to appreciate what they’ve experienced, not reflecting on what they’ve learned, or not celebrating what they’ve accomplished to that point. It robs them, just as it robbed me, of the joy in the journey.

So the next time you’re impatient to reach a goal, resist your urges and stop to take a look around. You just never know what you might discover about yourself or others.

Written by Tammy

Filed Under: engagement, Leadership, Mindfulness, Resilience, Risk

How to Set Boundaries Without Drama

November 29, 2017 By Leave a Comment

One of my favorite talks is How to Lead When You’re Feeling Burned Out and inevitably the timing of the talk coincides with me needing to practice what I preach! I gave the talk several times this past fall and most of the questions the audience asked came back to boundaries, albeit phrased like “These are all great tips but how do you do this when it’s impossible to say no and take time for myself?”

And then I found myself in the middle of having to say no and I too thought it was impossible … at least to begin with 😉 I realized that there were four things I needed to figure out:

  1. What were the competing values I was dealing with? In my case it was a competing value between my own health and wanting to keep a client happy. My tendency is to keep a client happy and deal with my own health later, but I know (and tell others!) that this is not a good long term strategy. So I got clear that it’s ok for me to value my health over my client’s happiness and that became my guiding value.
  2. Whose monkey was it? William Oncken’s brilliant metaphor of collecting monkeys, which are tasks or problems that we take on for various reasons that rightly belong to someone else, became very relevant. This piece of work that had grown into a rather large monkey did, in fact, belong to my client, not me. Sometimes the ownership of the monkey may not be as clear, but in those cases, it’s ok to ask someone who also has a partial ownership in the monkey to take it on (especially if that other person has not properly looked after that monkey in the past!)
  3. What feelings was I experiencing? I was stressed and frustrated but digging deeper, I realized I was a bit resentful. Feeling resentful comes from not being appreciated or being taken advantage of. This can happen when we impose “I should do this in order to be a good ___” or by someone else imposing their expectations on us. Getting clear on our feelings and, in particular, tuning into resentment can alert us to the fact that we need to set a boundary.
  4. What fears were surfacing? I was afraid that if I set a boundary my client would be upset, think less of me and then I would never get another contract ever from anyone else! I know that sounds irrational as I type it but these are the sorts of irrational fears that often prevent us from setting a boundary. In this case, I was able to get some perspective and realize that, given everything, it was doubtful this would happen and even if it did, it would not directly lead to no contracts ever! Often we don’t set boundaries because we are afraid a relationship will end. In that case, we need to ask ourselves if this is a healthy relationship to be in!

Working through these four things allowed me to set a boundary in a direct, respectful and grounded way. I was able to use my guiding value for why I could not complete this work and I did so from a place of confidence instead of frustration or resentment. Boundaries without drama has become my mantra!

Written by Tammy

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Are You Safe or Trapped?

October 25, 2017 By Leave a Comment

Dave and I have been teaching and giving talks for over 30 years and so it was surprising to both of us just how much angst we both experienced getting ready to present at DisruptHR Victoria. To be fair, it was a bit of a different format – 20 slides automatically forwarded every 15 seconds – and it was being video taped but nonetheless I have given hundreds of talks over the years … WTF? Why did my inner critic rear its ugly head to such a degree? My first thought was that my angst was all about not having control over when the slides advanced, but upon reflection there was a lot more going on.

Serendipity being what it is, I was just reading Tara Mohr’s Playing Big and Denise Jacobs’ Banish your Inner Critic, both of which offer insight and tips for dealing with your inner critic, albeit from slightly different perspectives.  Both of them suggest that the inner critic is a hardwired safety instinct. The role of the inner critic is to protect us from harm,  whether that’s physical or emotional.  This insight alone has helped me reframe what’s happening. Instead of the usual “this is ridiculous” message I give myself, I’m now saying, “Thank you for trying to  protect me, but I’ve got enough experience to handle this.” It’s a subtle but powerful shift that leaves me feeling more grounded.

My next insight came from Tara’s book … that our inner critic will yell most loudly when we are getting ready to play a bigger game. I realized that while I have given many talks, I can only think of one or two that were actually videotaped and none were going to get circulated more broadly.  There were several firsts in this talk … first time with a 5 minute, highly structured talk, and first time with a video about to be circulated. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to be “perfect,” another sign that the inner critic truly has a hold on you. I reminded myself of the Leonard Cohen quote I often say when perfectionism is taking over

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in

My final insight came from Denise Jacobs’ book. She has a chapter on “comparison syndrome” that really resonated for me. She talks a lot about the role of social media in feeding the inner critic and how to deal with that by tracking your triggers and then eliminating some of those sources. It was her ideas around becoming self-referential, however, that were so helpful to me. In preparing for the DisruptHR talk, I watched quite a few talks from the previous year, watched a number of shorter TED talks and read quite a few blogs about what to do/not do. The more I did this “preparation” the more freaked out I became. I was becoming other referential, not self referential. I needed to stop preparing and comparing,  get centered in on what I wanted to say and trust my own experience.

Jacobs’ suggests that to be self referential you determine your success by looking at who you’ve become over time. You then focus on becoming the best version of yourself. I was so anxious my first day of teaching high school English (many years ago now), I actually vomited in the staff washroom before I made it up to the class to teach! I realized that I had come a long way.  Embracing my “onlyness,” the space in which only you can stand, allowed me to embrace who I am and what I have to offer and do the talk “Tammy style” instead of “everyone else style.”

I’m happy to say that I got myself centered and, while I did feel many nervous flutters while waiting to give my talk, I did not vomit 😉 I have not seen the tape yet, but I will deal with that inner critic when the time comes 😉 In the meantime, I’m excited that I took the risk and very appreciative of the entire learning experience!

Filed Under: Creativity, decision making, Emotional Intelligence, Risk

3 Tips for Putting Down Your Armour

October 5, 2017 By Leave a Comment

It seems a natural response to being hurt, facing challenges or experiencing unexpected tragedy is to respond with fear and anger and armour up. Armouring up can be anything from “From now on I copy everyone in on my emails to cover my butt.” to “I will not share anything authentic with you again.” to “I’m going to isolate myself from others.”

But research is clear about the role of optimism in resilience. While these armouring up responses are normal, it’s when they become a long term habit that our overall wellness, effectiveness and satisfaction with life can be affected.

While some people seem to be more naturally optimistic, there are times when all of us need to be intentional about it. Here are three practices I use to put down my armour:

  1. Lighten up. Lightening up means that we don’t take ourselves seriously and we put things into perspective, hopefully finding humour in situations. While that may not always be possible in extremely distressing situations, it can also mean giving yourself permission to “park the issue” even if it’s for a short time. This gives your brain a chance to get out of fight or flight. To lighten up, practice the “pause.” When you find yourself overly stressed, anxious, serious, in a rush, etc, take a deep breath, pause for 4 seconds, name what you are experiencing and then ask yourself a question to shift into more optimism. Some of my favorites are “Will this be important a year from now?” “Can I do anything about this?” “Can I invest my energy into something more important or positive?”
  2. Reframe. Reframing means that we interpret and make meaning of our experiences in a way that is optimistic. Resilience researchers followed children raised in neglect or abuse over a long period of time to see how they fared as adults. Those who did well (lived productive happy lives) did not attach the same meaning to their earlier experiences as those who continued in a cycle of neglect and abuse. The “stories” we tell ourselves about what happens to us can be even more important and crucial in determining how we do than what actually happened to us in the moment. Those children who were able to reframe their early childhood as learning experiences that helped them develop their strength and confidence did better than those who told a story of how their early childhood damaged them. Reframing also relates to how we think about things that didn’t go right for us, or failures. Resilient people are able to reframe mistakes or failures as opportunities to learn or create something different in their lives.
  3. Develop a daily ritual that facilitates connection to yourself, others, nature. Some of the things I do are to write down 3 things I appreciate or am grateful for, go for walks, review my file of thank yous from others, watch uplifting videos or read something uplifting, and send a text or email of appreciation to someone. I find that doing this helps me to lean more towards optimism than pessimism, put down my armour and connect to others in a meaningful way.

What are the strategies you use to put down your armour and develop your optimism?

This blog is the A in our PAUSE model of resilience – Active Optimism. Watch for the U in a future blog!!

Filed Under: appreciative inquiry, Emotional Intelligence, engagement, Leadership, Mindfulness, Resilience, Work Life Balance

What it Takes to Say Yes

May 15, 2015 By 2 Comments

say yes

A common coaching question is “what would it take to say yes to [fill in the blank]? In my particular case, it was saying yes to a book.  I have wanted to write a book since I became a high school English teacher at 24. I thought it would be a novel, and then as the years wore on and I changed careers many times, I thought it would be something non-fiction, probably around leadership or teams. I have come up with many book titles and even drawn up outlines for books but have never quite got there until now.

So what did it take for me to say yes to a book? A few rather interesting discoveries, thanks to the conversations with my brilliant book coach, Danielle Pope, my equally as brilliant husband, Dave Whittington and my equally as brilliant friend, Claire Abbott:

  1. That the book was writing me, not the other way around.  When I started the book, I had a vague idea about what I was going to say, but mainly the idea just wouldn’t go away. I needed to give it some time and energy and learn about the book by writing it.
  2. As an adult educator, I think and am energized by developing and facilitating learning. So the first draft of my book was actually an e-learning course, followed by a one day workshop. That was a major “ah-ha” for me and fundamentally shifted my energy about writing.
  3. Related to the above, that a book could start small (a 7 day e-learning course) and evolve into a full length book.
  4. That writing a book is different from any other type of work I do and I couldn’t do it at my desk! I was too distracted by “real work” and couldn’t focus. I actually had to go to another environment to turn the e-learning course into the first draft of a book.
  5. That finding my voice for the book meant overcoming several inner demons related to the last time I wrote something substantial, my PhD dissertation.
  6. That I had to give myself permission to write the first draft as if no one else would ever read it. Until I made that discovery, I edited almost everything I wrote or stared at a blank page.
  7. That I cannot write in dribs and drabs as recommended by lots of people. I could not get up early and write a few hours a day. I needed to delve into the book and make it my sole focus for a period of time.
  8. And the most challenging discovery of all … I had to say no to paid work. I set aside weeks in my calendar and then would get calls to do work and would take the work. The hardest thing I have ever done is prioritize the book. I had to tell myself that writing a book was as important as my “real work” and actually invest time and money (as I went away to The Haven on Gabriola Island, a great place to write by the way.) I realized that saying no was an absolutely critical part of getting this book written, and while this was the biggest no, there were others.

And so, whatever your dream might be, I encourage you to find a few folks who will continue to ask “What would it take to say yes to  ….?”

Oh and I almost forgot … the book is called How to Forgive your Boss and should be published this fall.  Contact me or watch this space for how you can get your copy!

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Join me on pixpired.com

March 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

pixpired

For those of you who have been subscribing to our blog, a big THANK YOU. You may have noticed it has been some time since I blogged here and that’s because I have been creating a new site for all of the visuals. I will continue to blog daily, but now it will be done at pixpired.com (visually (pix) inspired (pired). Head on over to subscribe to the RSS feed, a daily email and download a free reflective leadership journal. Hope to see you there!

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Developing Personal Resilience

March 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

I recently noticed that this resource got lost in our web site’s latest reorganization. So here it is again …

This isn’t the only path to personal resilience, but these five practices provide a common-sense approach that is easy to understand and realistic to apply. Please note that because we deliver this presentation in a number of contexts and formats, what you see here may differ from what you experienced in the workshop you attended.

Link to presentation at prezi.com and the handout (one page word doc) that goes with the presentation.

Know Yourself

Get clear about your strengths, develop your emotional intelligence, live your values and confront your self-limiting beliefs.

Set Clear Goals

We need really clear goals. This isn’t news: “Our plans miscarry because they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbour he is making for, no wind is the right wind”. Lucius Annaeus Seneca (4BC – 65AD). We need short term goals so that we can measure progress and we need long term goals so that we know which direction to head in.

What’s your long-term BHAG? What are your short-term SMART goals? And what’s on your stop doing list, to make space for the good stuff?

Lighten Up

Most of the truly successful people I have met seem to be having fun. They have a sense of humour, they don’t take themselves very seriously and they laugh a lot. It’s often difficult for us to find humour in the world around us, but we need to find it, and share it with others whenever we can.

Give yourself a break. Take time to connect with friends and family. Find ways to have fun at work. How can you maintain a positive attitude?

Persevere

Viktor Frankl makes it sound so easy – “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing, the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”

We need to stick at it. We need to work on these practices continually, until they become a habit. Changing habits takes time and there is no instant fix. This is a lifelong exploration. We need to deliberately and consistently put effort into building resilience. This means scheduling time for ourselves to do the reflective work we need to do.

Embrace Paradox and Uncertainty

Uncertainty is one of the biggest stressors for some people. The clever folks who study complexity say increases as the pace of change increases and the level of interconnectivity increases. Our work and our society are destined to become ever more complex and unpredictable.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

The new normal

February 28, 2013 By Leave a Comment

In the last while, I have found myself saying, “when things get back to normal,” meaning when I can get back to doing business the way I used to (or was comfortable with). Well, I think I have known all along that’s a bit deluded and news of a triple dip recession only heightens my awareness that doing business right now requires huge amounts of courage, nerve, risk taking and creativity. This IS the new normal.

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Filed Under: Creativity, Leadership, Risk Tagged With:
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