Sprinting with Shoelaces Tied?

​Harnessing your inner MacGyver?  Trying to turn a gum wrapper, existing course, Internet connection, and a free app or new license into virtual training to roll out next Monday?  After all, you already have the f2f class designed…how hard can it be to “pivot to online”?  

Sigh. 

​You are not alone.  

Many colleagues have reached out to me on this since early March and I, too, have been taking classes historically only offered f2f into the VILT arena where I have enjoyed leading learning events since 2015.  Whether you have ready access to my books or not, I want to offer some help to those of you feeling the crunch of “convert our f2f programs to online,” “cut that program back…it needs to be shorter,” and “we need this yesterday.”  ​

​If you have Same Training, Half the Time, grab your copy.  If you don’t, scroll down for some quick hits.  

Yes, I Have Same Training, Half the Time!

1. Flip to the Introduction and a add a sixth bullet point on page 1: “COVID-19 has changed the face of learning and development for us.”  Then read this eight-page section to remind yourself that the challenge isn’t a new one for the profession, even if you are currently under new and intense time pressures and software learning curves.
   
   
2. Head to page 143 from there (Chapter 8) and read Part One – just six pages.  This takes you back to the basics of what makes great training; let this content be the beacon that guides you safely into port as you navigate with wild-eyed-wonder all the bright and shiny possibilities of the new tools you are exploring for your redesign.  Skip ahead to page 156 for the Trainer Hacks for Condensed Timing without a Course Redesign; you will want to leverage 11 of the dozen strategies there.
   
   
3. Turn back to page 79.  Read through Chapters 5, 6, and 7 with a highlighter and notepad at hand.  Annotate and record the ideas these pages inspire as you encounter them.  While written to guide you through designing a complete learning solution that supports building a development continuum versus a “class,” these chapters provide direction for creating before, during, and after training components.  You can take them at face value.  Or, take it up a notch and view these pages through the lens of your current reality.  Can you develop individual assets to push out more quickly than a “class”?  Are there existing tools in the form of job aids and worksheets in current programs that can be re-packaged and distributed to managers for immediate application?  What communications can you ghost-write for managers and supervisors for them use in their direct communications with staff?  The inspiration you can take from these pages is endless.
   
   
4. You are now going to be tempted to throw yourself into the work of putting your ideas into practice…resist that for just a moment.  Before you start building assets and redesigning courses, find page 63 and read Chapter 4.  It is less than nine pages of reading plus seven pages of exercise, and it is essential to identifying the content to include in your programs, and thereby, what to exclude from them.
   
   
5. Last step!  Turn to Chapter 10, page 165.  Review the tools, worksheets, and job aids assembled there (especially the job aids!) and download the files you want to use.  There are many more Resources available to you, but top picks should include:

• 8 Powerful Ways Managers Can Help Their Employees Make the Most of Training (distribute this three-page pdf to all of your learners’ managers)
• Free Resources from Same Training, Half the Time

 
No, I Don’t Have Same Training, Half the Time (Yet!)

Read these three blog posts and leave your digital footprints with some likes, shares, or comments:

• What Makes Training Great
• Make the Most of Limited Training Time and compare your course elements to the Six Essential Components to Maximize Learning
• Trigger Action with Learning Boosters

Tap into the same Resources as above:

• 8 Powerful Ways Managers Can Help Their Employees Make the Most of Training (distribute this three-page pdf to all of your learners’ managers)
• Free Resources from Same Training, Half the Time

Rejoice that Same Training, Half the Time is offered through Amazon Prime, and you can be holding your copy in days!
 
For Every Instructional Designer…
I will be sharing additional support, strategies, and resources for converting courses to online both on LinkedIn and here in the coming days and weeks.  Follow me and subscribe to my blog if these will be of interest to you.  And, if you have ideas to contribute to the collective community, I have created a blog entry for you to share your resources, tools, and lessons learned and demonstrate that collaboration is alive and well in our field!

Please share a link to this post with your network, and if you value the guidance of Same Training, Half the Time, I’d deeply appreciate your taking a moment to leave your review of it on Amazon.

​​©2020 Kimberly Devlin, All rights reserved