When your world radically shifts, you must radically adapt! With so many suddenly overworked, out of work, or worse, too sick to work, every single person has had to learn something quickly. Proud people will claim they love change until something is a real surprise and it uncovers who we are when no one is looking. While so much is out of our control, I always remember to lean in on what is called one’s locus of control. What exactly can I do the most about? First? Turn off the news! We will start there!

In finding my own focus, here are some questions I asked myself:

• What skills have I accrued?
• What new skills could I gain?
• Who can I help?

What skills have I accrued?

At the end of last year, I was promoted to Learning Experience Instructional Design Architect within my Learning and Development department. Though it has been just 3 years since April, it seems like all the new certifications, industry conferences, speaking opportunities, and increased experience with so many Adobe visual and sound production tools happened in much less time. I have non-stop enthusiasm for what I do and I have impressed some people I truly respect and cannot wait to impress so much more and so many more!

What new skills could I gain?

With most of the course requests I have handled, I proposed an online self-paced or a live instructor led treatment. At times, I have suggested a social learning opportunity but, most internal clients prefer something more formally delivered and tracked. I have designed blended programs and delivered some virtual sessions before, but most of my team’s virtual learning is delivered by our external learning team. Hints of this were always around: ie. Sign on the door reads SHHHHHH… WebEx in Session! Sometimes, I might even hear someone doing a seminar in the cube next me. Hey! You got to do what you got to do! Still, now that we communicate virtually just to say hello, how can I make learning sound less like listening to instructions over the airport speaker and not as completely informal as a work desk phone call? Aha! Here is a real opportunity to start a live show! A broadcast! The CBS of Learning!!! (Gayle King, send me all those extra dresses!)

Remote learning productions present such an exciting opportunity to innovate, yet delivering virtual instructor led coursework is something we were thrust into and not something we got an extended budget or had a tremendous demand to do. I got heads up about a few virtual learning courses in the wake of our first week. Like being asked to cook a meal, I clapped my hands together- alright! Let’s take inventory!

1. What tools do we have? Web Ex, Computers with disable cameras, personal equipment: lights, camera, sound, backdrop, noise free environment
2. What features can we use? We can share slide deck images, pdfs, PowerPoint, Stock image, graphics, video as well edit our own sound, images, graphics and video. WebEx gives you chatbox, whiteboard, breakout rooms, hyperlinks, documents, annotation, screenshare, but in truth, sharing video or sound is not what you think it would be
3. How do learners feel about this context? People mostly use WebEx meeting version to attend meetings for which they are either least essential or SO essential to the agenda. Many people just call in and mute themselves while continuing to work on other assignments and many walk away from their computer altogether. Since all are new to this work at home set up, we can assume people are still adjusting to home interruptions and will be quite screen fatigued since in the wake of going remote. With some, there is extra pressure to ensure peers and managers find them available and online to ensure everyone is still working. Depends on the team, really
4. What topics? Business Skills and possibly software; vendor/out of box and personal original coursework
5. How large is the audience? Anyone can attend; Invitations are often based on contributor vs people leader or department specific
6. How long to prepare? Yesterday! Let’s do this!

Who Can I Help?

In times of crisis, we need to remember to be helpful, resourceful, and be cohesive team players. Sound good, right? Well, I wish I could say that was me! It is a fault of mine not to be MAGIC, the Earvin Johnson well known for inspiring all his fellow Lakers to bring up their game. Instead, I am from Chicago- translation- I am Air Jordan- I must do everything bigger and so much better, they name shoes after me! I save the game no matter who shows up! I am the captain already! With my new title perched on my shoulder like champion-chip number 3, I set out to assist the managers of the training specialists.

I put together a Virtual Learning Standards document, virtual facilitator capabilities survey, and a VILT template and set up meetings to discuss with these managers and my bosses. I was granted testing access for the WebEx TC and studied every tutorial on the Cisco site, Lynda, and every video I could find on YouTube. I downloaded 4 streaming applications, researched all the specifications for live production set up, and I am only a transmitter away from airing my own show on local TV stations, Holla, CBS! Going for broke, hardly sleeping or eating, I also continued to prepare my own original written course to work together vendor provided resources on Time Management for newly remote professionals. What timing!

If I’m optimistic, I’d say my VILT transformation effort was mildly appreciated and was received as a bit invasive and overboard- mainly, because all I put in was self-assigned and also, due to the fact these managers had worked out their own system respecting the limits of the application and out of box materials they had ready to go. In one meeting, someone said to me, “It’s not that serious.” I caught a tear. I wanted to say I saved the planet! Took the learning experience to another dimension undreamed! Instead, I will say I have geared up for a show that has not aired and I am still working on improving the course I do and those coming up. My current course was well received and yet, when have I ever been satisfied with that? I am only a believer in my 100s and 100s of jumpshots. I have taught more types classes, more companies, more topics, online, virtual, blended with every of mix of supporting, limiting, and surprise factors- I do this!!! Well, I trip on my pride too. Okay, I am not an NBA MVP and this is not The Last Dance. I am always learning and that’s the real win!

What can you learn from reading this far?

Adjusting to change looks different on everyone and there is no dodging the stress. If you are lucky, your team will know your good intent, smile off your hyper-reality, and you will catch a good groove to get back on top of your game. And just maybe, someone will ask you a question you can answer and that will be just the help they needed to win their game! If you are out of work, encourage yourself with a jump shot schedule. Set up a what you will do toward your reinvention, your search, and self-appreciation from 8-5pm, Monday to Friday. This means you never lost a job- you got you, the MVP! If you can say, I give it a shot each day, you are good and you will be ready! If you are overworked, remember nothing is in vain. All these jump shots you had to take or forced yourself to take, will make the future so much easier- not because the future is easier but, because the past had to be this tough so, you would just fly with your newest opportunities. Remember to get your rest. Finally, if you are ill or grieving, remember everything is going to be okay- not because it’s okay now, but just because, you have every reason to shine in what you do and it will come through no matter what. You’ll get a shoe named after you- even if you have to start naming your shoes!