Training Industry Magazine - Spring 2022 - 25

(as well as everyone else involved).
It can be effective in many ways and
for a multitude of audiences although
some may have a harder time focusing.
The ability to learn in a virtual world is
an acquired skill. The challenge is that
most people need human-to-human
connection and interaction to stay
engaged. This is where a blended
learning program can help.
Can the Virtual
Delivery Work for
Leadership Training?
Absolutely! Technology plays a key role
in both enhancing and supporting the
delivery of a great learning experience.
Key challenges involve helping
participants stay active and engaged,
creating a sense of community and
connection
across
a
cohort,
and
keeping materials and tools as simple
as possible.
While each of these cater to different
groups of learners, it is undeniable that
leadership training is in equal measure
an art and a science. It involves a lot of
behavioral components and soft skills.
That brings us to the next question.
Is Online/Virtual
Training Effective?
Online learning is like any other modality:
It's only as good as the design and
setting allow it to be. Online learning can
work for leadership development and
actually be a more effective modality for
certain purposes, but the design needs
to be carefully considered, given the
modality and learning objectives.
Virtual learning is flexible and can save
time for subject matter experts (SMEs)
And there are certain misconceptions:
that you can't possibly keep people
engaged for longer sessions, that it's
impossible to build connections and
networking opportunities and that
virtual delivery is inferior to in-person
delivery. However, most of these can be
overcome with good design.
Designing a Winning
Virtual Leadership
Training Program
While there are certain challenges,
such as limitations of technology,
short attention spans, lack of facilitator
knowledge and varying levels of ability
with digital interactive tools, virtual
training is the way ahead.
It cuts down the effort and expense
needed to get experts onboard every
time. Use eLearning courses that can
be reused for different groups for
learners. Record your virtual sessions
and offer snippets as ready reckoners,
post training.
TRAINING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE - SPRING 2022 I WWW.TRAININGINDUSTRY.COM/MAGAZINE
■ Deliver job aids such as PDFs and
charts.
■ Check and assess recall at periodic
intervals in stress-free formats.
VILT
Virtual instructor-led training (VILT)
is becoming an indispensable part of
leadership training, as it's commonly
considered a close substitute for faceto-face
training. However, the challenge
lies in designing material to replicate the
classroom and getting learners familiar
with technology.
To address the latter, it's better to
organize a couple of " Getting Started "
webinars to build familiarity. It's also
better to have a host/moderator assist
the instructor in conducting the sessions.
Here are a few guidelines on replicating
leadership training in the virtual space.
■ Reconsider the learning objectives
and decide what needs to be covered
via VILT.
■ Decide on the optimal duration of
each session. It is recommended to
have short VILT sessions, interspersed
with breaks.
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Using Virtual Training for
Leadership Development
eLearning
eLearning courses - whether
standalone or configured as curricula -
can be used to provide knowledge. In
fact, they make a good predecessor to
VILT sessions by covering the theoretical
frameworks and concepts.
eLearning courses can also be used
post VILT sessions to offer learners a
chance to practice the skills component
in the form of scenario-based modules.
Microlearning modules can be used to:
■ Push learning in spaced intervals to
improve retention.
■ Pull learning resources that learners
can access on-demand from the
learning management system or
internal portals.
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Training Industry Magazine - Spring 2022

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