Transforming distance into relationship

Article by Valentina Gentileschi – “Transforming distance into relationship” – TRAINERS & TRAINING – November 2020_HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW

Of the many activities that had to be reinvented during the coronavirus emergency, there is certainly also training. The use of IT platforms in training is certainly not new; the spread of the internet has made it increasingly easy to use these tools, even though, historically, this type of training was reserved for situations where the technical aspect, or at least the focus on the transmission of new information and knowledge, was the prevailing aspect.

When, on the other hand, the focus was on soft skills, the development of greater awareness within complex relational dynamics, the training classroom has always been favoured in order to ensure better quality. It is for this reason that during the most acute phase of the lockdown, when we were forced to transform all courses into online mode, we decided to title them “Transforming distance into relationship“.

Aware that in the quality of the relational exchange lies the indispensable element of this category of interventions. However, accepting the challenge of keeping this quality as high as possible requires the adoption of some fundamental strategic expedients.

The following are the most important ones in our experience:

• The first element concerns time management.
  It is difficult for an online intervention to take place in the same time frame as a classroom intervention; this is because many phases of apparent inactivity (planned and unplanned breaks), which in the classroom generate quality moments of aggregation for the purposes of the relationship, in distance learning are often perceived as dispersive wastes of time. In the end, our experience led us to opt for more concentrated half-day interventions (3-4 hours).

We have been able to make use of the more concentrated half-day interventions (3-4 hours).

• From the considerations made in the first point follows the need to implement a more detailed planning in defining the content, exercises, materials and time allocated to each of these phases. It is very useful to send the participants information, data, bibliographies and reference links, so as to ensure a more active and motivated participation. As well as being accompanied by a classroom tutor or co-teacher, particularly in the case of large groups, so as to never lose visual contact with the virtual classroom during the projection of slides and to keep the interaction via chat alive.

The training

of the participants in the virtual classroom

is also very useful.

• The online training helps us understand, if we still need to, the importance and value of the analogue component of communication. The impossibility of reproducing the infinity of micro-interactions typical of physical space advises to make the most of the initial socialisation phases for the creation of a good group climate. To this end, it is possible to resort to the use of excellent tools, available today, that help participants feel motivated and involved right from the initial stages. Just as it is important to define and share the ‘rules of engagement’ regarding interventions, questions, use of the microphone and camera (always on).
  Attention to these details has often led us to discover one of the advantages of web-based training, which is capable of generating unexpected levels of participation in subjects usually sidelined in the traditional classroom.

• The platforms available today are generally very versatile, allowing for the creation of working subgroups (breakout rooms) and for participants to interact with each other through the use of messaging, virtual whiteboards and screen sharing. Through these tools, the architecture of the planned intervention can be ‘grounded’ with adequate flexibility. It is also highly recommended to supplement the use of the chosen platform with the use of IT tools that facilitate interactivity and group involvement such as virtual post-it notes, cloud creation, mind maps, etc.