by jazdale » Tue Aug 26, 2003 5:05 pm
I agree with Rrikess 100%
Over the years, my primary responsibilities have been training or selling presentations.
I notice a significant increase in attention and retention. Heres some of the reasons why.
1. Going offsite to a training center = getting an expense account = a free bender on the boss's dime.
Next day = tired = hungover = wishing you were back home.
2. Most offsite classes are concentrated for many hours if not days. When your butt is sore, your brain stops.
- online courses usually last about an hour per module.
3. The time spent going home has a diminishing effect in trying out your new concepts.
When you sign-off of the website, you're ready to try your new tricks immediately.
4. On-line classes will keep you focused on the content - not the speaker.
His fly is open, she has a crooked looking face, his shoe is untied, ect.
Also, private conversations in the group = I'm not hearing anything the speaker is saying.
5. By not being in a class, you're not embarassed to ask the 'dumb' questions
6. Think of the frequency your techs and other personnel attend the satellite classes.
How many classes would they attend if they had to pack up and drive/fly for these classes.
Theres always something better to do than take a training class - but training is what makes us better at what we do.
*******
After saying this, I must admit that the sword swings both ways.
1, The employee that believes - Since I'm in my office, I'll just get some paperwork done and keep half-an-ear on the web-training
2. A bad speaker is a bad speaker. the uhms will kill your message regardless of the format used.
3. The most difficult thing I had to learn was speaking to a group with inflection in my voice.
Its pretty hard to speak to 'nobody' in a phone and not become monotone and sound uninterested.
The absence of visual feedback does take some getting used to.
*******
The technology exists and the format works. I wish more people would grasp the saving of time and money behind doing this.