A remote team needs efficient and effective training just as much or even more than a team working at the same location. By definition, a team needs to work together, combining their efforts to reach a goal.
That refers to any team – from a sales team to a basketball team. So, what’s different about remote training for your team? For successful remote training, consider these components: How far? How fast? How deep? Let’s take a look at each.
How Far? Bridge the Distance Gap
Nowadays, it doesn’t much matter where your team members are located geographically. Other than pesky time zone differences, you all can be sitting around a virtual table with 21st century technology. Because of that, virtual training isn’t that much different than training done face-to-face.
With the teleconferencing capabilities we have, we can actually not only tell our team the crucial details, but we can show them how things need to be done. By creating cogent checklists and going through them one point at a time, complete with screenshots and screen sharing, your team will benefit from your knowledge and expertise. How far? Use real-time presentation platforms to bridge the distance gap.
How Fast? Allow the Natural Speed
People learn at different speeds. Some can cram all sorts of facts and figures into their heads and somehow understand their relevance right from the start. Others need time to ponder what they are learning and compartmentalize these lessons in slower fashion.
To make training more efficient and effective, provide elements of both. For instance, you might use a bulleted presentation with the main points to guide your explanations, but record it so some team members can review it again. Create written guides with screenshots and details so that all team members can use those later as a reference. How fast? Provide a range allowing your team members to learn at their own speed.
How Deep? Reinforce the Learning Curve
The Learning Pyramid, created by the National Training Laboratories, emphasizes that retention depends on participation. Passive teaching methods such as lecture, reading, audio visual, and demonstration result in retention levels of 30% and less. However, group discussions, practice by doing, and teaching others, lead to much higher retention levels.
When we were in school, homework interfered with our play time and social life. As adults, we realize that applying what we’ve learned is an effective way to help it sink in better. Provide follow-on work after the training is complete to give your team a chance to sort through the details. We not only want our team to soak in the training, but we also want them to be able to retain the information. How deep? Encourage your team members to participate in their own training.
How Well? That Depends
Once you’ve created a training schedule for your remote team, you’ll need to keep track of the performance of each member. To reinforce their success, keep in touch with each of them to answer questions and to review their results.
We have just the product for you that will allow you to do both. Business Glu provides a platform you can use not only to train your remote team, but also to communicate with them. By creating a training library of your recorded sessions and the handouts and documents shared, your team can continue to learn beyond that initial training session. What’s even better is that the library will be “open” 24/7, despite geographic location or time zone.
The Business Glu mobile app allows you to train your team or followers, check on their progress, and gain accountability – all from the palm of your hand! This is great news for the training of your remote team, because as Mark Sanborn, an expert in team building and leadership, writes, “In teamwork, silence isn’t golden; it’s deadly.” Keep your remote team alive and well with sufficient training and efficient communication. Use Business Glu to do just that.
