[PART THREE] Overcoming Three Common TRAPS to Creating Online Workshops

By Mark Samuel –

So far we’ve explored two of the most common traps that even seasoned content designers and facilitators can make when they turn to offering virtual events:

#1 Underestimating the difference between environment and facilitator skills are the same

#2 Assuming activities that work well in the in-person environment will work the same in the virtual environment

Now let’s move on to the third common trap (that we inadvertently fell into recently!)…

Trap #3: Under-Preparing for the Virtual Training Session

With all of the time spent to test activities, I (Mark) thought for sure that I was prepared for delivery. My technology partner asked for several hours of “dress rehearsal” to ensure we were well coordinated and clear on hand-offs, use of Google Docs, and presenting concepts using PowerPoint or Flip Charts. I never need to do this kind of dress-rehearsal for a program that I have delivered several times prior with success, so I was impatient with the process of “dress-rehearsals” and only accepted a short period of time for my availability.

Solution #3: Dress Rehearse, Dress Rehearse, and Dress Rehearse

I can honestly say that I was the one who ended up wanting to take more time for dress rehearsals once I saw how uncomfortable I was in a virtual environment compared to a live environment. There is so much more coordination, communication, and recovery required in a virtual environment that unless I practiced it, I would forget steps in the process. It’s also critical to have a full script when doing a virtual training, even if you didn’t need one for the in-person training based on your experience. I used the script constantly, and in combination with the dress rehearsals, my awkwardness during delivery was at a minimum.

Ultimately, the virtual training game is a completely different game from in-person training. It requires more agility, more practice, more preparation, and lots of back up plans. It can look exceedingly simple, but in reality, there are many moving parts that you don’t have full control of the way you might in an in-person training environment.

We hope this series has been useful and look forward to hearing from you!

What is your takeaway and how can that support you in your virtual events?

In service to your success!

Mark & Licia

P.S. We’re covering these and a lot more tips and techniques to create effective virtual events in:

The OFFline to ONline 5-Day Challenge

Click here to learn more: