The Art of (Not) Succeeding in Virtual Training: 5 Things Not to Do

We have been hosting training courses for over 6 years now and since COVID, virtual training courses have become the new normal, bringing the classroom to our homes, offices, and well any place with a Wi-Fi connection.

We have noticed a few differences between in-person classroom courses and virtual courses and thought in this blog we would share 5 things not to do in a virtual training course, so that you can make the most out of your training and get the best experience in any virtual training you’re take part in.

What does a virtual training course with PMO Learning look like?

Our virtual training courses are held via Zoom, we have found it is reliable, many people have used it before, and it offers various functions such as a continuous chat and breakout rooms to complete exercises. You will receive joining instructions including the Zoom link, timings, materials, checklist of tasks to complete, and support contacts throughout the course in a PDF a few weeks before the course date. This means all delegates should be ready and raring to go at 9 am on the first day of the course.

>> Check out just some of the courses we run in the virtual classroom such as the Essentials for PMO Administrators | P3O® Foundation | Assurance and the PMO Professionals, you’ll find more in our schedule here.

To ensure your virtual training course is a memorable one (for the right reasons) here are 5 things not to do in virtual training:

Camera Shy Crusader –

We know not everyone is confident in front of a camera, but our virtual classrooms have a camera on policy so that the trainer can put a face to the name, ensure you are participating, and read your body language to see if what they are teaching is making sense to delegates. If the trainer can see your face and you don’t look like you understand the content, they can then go into further detail and provide further explanation.

Our Essentials for PMO Administrators course is a great example of this, as this course is for those who are complete beginners and are new to PMO, our trainer will make sure they relate the content to your current work place or explain concepts in various ways to ensure everyone understands.

Other participants in the course also find it much easier to engage with you especially as much of the additional learning on any training course comes from the interaction between delegates as they share their own experiences.

Multi-Tasking Madness–

We know working from home allows you the opportunity to do the washing, online shopping or sit and watch some funny cat videos. However, on a virtual training course it’s better to be engaged with the learning so you don’t miss out on any important content.

We provide regular breaks to pop the kettle on, have a minute to yourself and have a break. All our trainers are working in or managing a PMO and therefore will regularly use their own experiences or real-world examples to explain the content and provide a greater understanding to delegates, so you don’t want to miss out on this.

Pets and Kids Gone Wild –

As the course is virtual and many delegates complete it from home, we have seen some delegates sitting in their living room and then we get a surprise appearance from one of their kids or their pet.

As much as we love seeing your furry four-legged friends pop up on the camera for a moment or two, they probably aren’t going to be an expert in PMO and provide the class with their knowledge and experiences. Seeing dogs/cats or kids popping up on the screen can also be distracting for other delegates who may then miss out on important information.

Mute Mayhem

We all know the mute button is great for blocking out background noise and letting others speak but don’t be the person who spends the entire course on mute and avoids taking part in group exercises.

All our courses also have several exercises in order to break up the content and allow you to work in groups to put the knowledge into real-world context. It can be daunting to speak up in a group and contribute if you are not sure your answers are correct, but it is always better to say something than not at all. Delegates who don’t participate in these groups will miss out on the opportunity to really engage and network with other PMO professionals. It can be really beneficial to hear everyone’s experiences, thoughts, and ideas that could help you and your PMO.

Fashionably Late–

Virtual training means no commute and you can roll out of your bed 20 minutes before you start, so that means there should be no excuse for being late, right? Well, we sometimes see some delegates not honouring the classroom times and being late to start the course, return from breaks or lunch.

All our courses start at 9am BST and have regular breaks throughout the day and an hour for lunch. It’s always great for a trainer if delegates are back on time from their lunch and ready to start the content so that correct timings can continue throughout the day and we can finish on time. It’s even better when delegates arrive a few minutes before the agreed time to be back and everyone can have a nice chat about things other than the course (last night’s game?) and get to know each other.

Overall, virtual training courses offer a world of knowledge and the opportunity to learn something new to either improve your skills or take knowledge back and implement it into your role. Any kind of learning should be seen as a real treat – especially when we’re all so busy – so make sure you give it the investment it deserves.

It’s great that we have the opportunity to welcome so many delegates from around the world and meet people from various jobs and companies.

If you are looking to take a course with PMO Learning, we want you to make the most out of your time and money!

So, next time you are joining us in the virtual classroom remember the 5 ‘not-to-do’s and you’ll have a fantastic time and be a great learner.

Click here to see all our upcoming virtual training courses!

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