Hydrocarbon Processing - December 2020 - 16

Workforce
set of concepts is presented in 30 min-45 min, followed by a
breakout group activity that gives learners an opportunity to
interact, ask questions and reinforce their learning in a more
engaging format. In this industry, breakout activities can provide great value by enabling learners to consider and discuss
how the concepts apply to their daily activities. For most training topics, employees can get the most value and engagement
out of concrete breakout discussions on how to apply the
skills-including what challenges learners may face in applying the skills and what opportunities the new skills present.
Likewise, day-long workshop formats can be exhausting for
remote learners. Instead, consider offering half-day modules
spread out over more calendar space. Learners will be able to
take more away from each of these shorter modules. In addition, it will be easier for supervisors to allow their employees
to attend a half-day training session, rather than a longer session. While the challenge of keeping participants focused is not
unique to remote training, there is a far higher tendency for
participants to check out mentally via multitasking during allday remote training sessions.
Organizations delivering formal training should consider
creating a studio. An unused conference room is a perfect setting for this. With a green screen, a mounted webcam, lighting
and appropriate monitors, trainers can have a far more professional and engaging production, with a trainer standing and
pointing at the virtually projected slides on the green screen.
At a very minimum, anyone delivering training should have
a dual-monitor setup with a dedicated webcam. This allows
trainers to see the presented material on one screen and the
conferencing app controls on the other. Trainers should also
consider using an integrated tablet to enable drawing concepts
and marking slides for additional emphasis.
Interactive tools can help with engagement. Instead of having
verbal quizzes answered by the same few learners every time, you
can use quiz apps (such as Kahoot! and Mentimeter) for entertaining reinforcements of concepts. Instead of trying to coax employees to use markers on whiteboards, you can use whiteboard
apps (e.g., Miro) that will allow all to write or type their thoughts
from their desks. Finally, most business communication and
conferencing platforms provide an ability to create virtual breakout sessions. In these breakout sessions, smaller groups can discuss issues, conduct activities, provide whiteboard concepts or
collaboratively create content (e.g., PowerPoint presentations)
to share their results with the rest of the class.
4. Seek feedback early and often. Remote trainers cannot

innately " read the room " as they would in an in-person presentation. While encouraging participants to broadcast their
video can provide some insights in a small group, this is still
no match for the volume of non-verbal cues apparent in an inperson setting. For this reason, it is important to seek feedback
early and often during remote training. The following are just
a few ways to seek feedback during sessions:
* Ask questions and check for comprehension more
frequently than during an in-person session.
* Use remote tools to ask participants to raise their " virtual
hand " to answer questions. An alternative method is
asking everyone to turn on their video feed, then asking
those who agree with a certain statement to turn their
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DECEMBER 2020 | HydrocarbonProcessing.com

video feed off. In addition to providing feedback, this
simple requirement can refocus attendees' attention.
* Utilize apps (such as Mentimeter) that will allow realtime, anonymous polling with Likert scale options,
short answers and word clouds that can be displayed
immediately via a browser window or PowerPoint plug-in.
* Encourage and respond to comments in the session's
chat window.
These in-stride feedback opportunities allow trainers to make
real-time adjustments and avoid losing the class for an entire
session. Hosts should also seek feedback in a more dedicated
way at the end of each session. First, at the end of each session,
allocate time for a live discussion of what went well during the
session and what challenges the learners encountered during the training. Be sure to probe not only for the traditional
feedback on content and understanding, but also for technical
issues and for any environmental challenges, such as employees in shared offices being unable to fully focus on the course.
Second, the remote environment provides a great opportunity
for anonymous surveys via apps or the Internet. The author's
experience is that these surveys tend to be filled out more completely than the paper forms.
5. Identify and empower onsite champions for training.

When virtual training is completed, there is not the same opportunity for networking, having sidebar conversations or exchanging business cards, as usually happens during in-person training.
Regardless of the format, few organizations have a great plan for
an ongoing connection between training and what happens the
next day in the plant. Consequently, for all training formats, it
is important to identify and empower onsite champions who
can answer questions, provide support, and tie new skills to a
better way of conducting daily operations. Ideally, this would
take the form of formal coaching, with onsite coaches who have
not only mastered the training material, but who also possess a
high level of change-leadership skills. Yet, even in cases where a
formal coaching program is not feasible, it is important to identify onsite champions who have mastered the training material,
know the linkages to daily operations and can help cement the
change. This is a critical part of any training plan.
Remote training is an indispensable tool for companies that
understand the twin imperatives of continuing investment in
their human capital, while also safeguarding their employees
through social distancing. Remote training presents different
challenges and opportunities than in-person sessions, meaning
that remote training requires different approaches, structures
and tools to maximize value. Successful trainers must seek feedback early and often and use that feedback to make agile adjustments to tailor their approaches to the particular culture and to
the needs of their learners.
PETER MUNSON is a Project Manager with T.A. Cook & Partner
Consultants. He is a certified reliability engineer and a certified
maintenance and reliability professional with more than 20 yr of
maintenance and operations experience in the aviation, utilities,
facilities and petrochemical sectors. After serving as a pilot and
as a maintenance and operations manager in the U.S. Marine
Corps, Mr. Munson worked with a wide range of organizations
to improve their operations, along with their maintenance planning and execution.
He is a graduate of the Marine Corps' Weapons and Tactics Instructors (WTI)
course and the Naval Aviation Maintenance Program (NAMP) management course.

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Hydrocarbon Processing - December 2020

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