Start at the End

Start at the End

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
Can we think of training and development as a product that can be produced just like a chair or laptop? I would argue we can. Although not made of physical matter, a training has an audience whose goal is to create value for the customer. So if we think of a training as a product, we can apply design thinking to improve it. According to the Interaction Design Foundation, “design thinking is an iterative process in which you seek to understand your users, challenge assumptions, redefine problems and create innovative solutions which you can prototype and test.” We engage in this type of thinking when we center training design around a deep interest in understanding the people for whom we design training. I love using this technique because it helps me and my clients observe and develop empathy with their staff. We get curious and begin asking better questions about how we share knowledge and skills. I recently read Matt Wallaert’s book Start At...
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To Remote or Not to Remote; That is the question. 

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
As the COVID-19 global pandemic continues to shift and change, companies are left wondering whether or not to allow teams to continue remote work or to mandate a return to the office either in a full or hybrid model. A recent study in the journal Nature Human Behavior explored remote work's impact on over 61,000 Microsoft employees. Here are some of the key findings:   Organization-wide remote work reduced the collaboration network of workers.The reduction decreased new connections and worsened "siloed" connections.  The timing of communication shifted from synchronous communication to more asynchronous communication.  The issue is complex. Although the study discusses some significant limitations and reinforces the need for future research, it is clear that these three critical challenges with remote work may make it harder for employees to collaborate. The end goal of the collaboration is the ability to acquire and share new information across the network, and this study indicates the changes that exist in this area. Companies must also weigh the benefits of remote...
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Guiding a Team to Build a Logic Model

Guiding a Team to Build a Logic Model

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
Facilitating a group through the process to build a logic model can feel overwhelming. I have some tips and tricks to make the process easier when leading a team through the process of creating a logic model.  Who should be involved?  Try to limit the group to as few people as possible but ensure that you have representation from project/program staff, evaluation staff, and, when possible, leadership teams. Groups larger than ten often struggle to come to a consensus. If your group has more than ten people, think about how you structure each work session; there may be a way to design each session so that every member does not have to be present at every meeting.  Where should we meet?  You will want a flexible space that allows for small group and large group discussions. You will also want a whiteboard or another method to collect ideas. If your room doesn’t have a whiteboard, post-its can be a powerful tool for brainstorming as...
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The Survey Workshop

The Survey Workshop

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
I have enjoyed collaborating on this workshop with Kyle Bowen, the founder of SuperHelpful, a research firm devoted to helping museum leaders create more innovative organizations through research. Why a survey workshop? The short and honest answer: Because a survey is what your museum wants to use to listen to its audience. We would like to help you make an effective survey and use the opportunity to work with you to help your organization identify its strategic goals and develop new evaluation skills that your team will use long after completing the workshop.  The beauty of this remote workshop series is that there is no limit to the number of participants from your organization, and whoever you choose to participate in will have customized learning opportunities based on your organization and goals. Yes, you will have a ready-to-use survey tool when you complete this series. Just as importantly, you will also have a team that is more confident in openly talking about...
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Using Kahoot

Using Kahoot

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
Think about the last time you played a game. How did it make you feel? Games and polls are a great way to engage teams during virtual meetings. Kahoot allows you to gamify your organization’s training and onboarding. This intuitive online platform is free for all educators and relatively inexpensive for paid memberships. You can easily create quizzes, games, and polls that can be shared during team meetings or even go so far as to create versatile blended learning solutions, including self-paced courses. Seamlessly host Kahoots via any video conferencing platform, including Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams.  One of my favorite ways to use Kahoot! Is as an icebreaker to build motivation and facilitate a strong group learning dynamic. You will want to prep your quiz or poll in advance and then get a shared link to drop into the chat box of your video conferencing tool of choice. Once participants click on that link they will be asked to...
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Using Padlet

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
What's a Padlet? In its purest form, a Padlet is a digital pinboard. You can dress it up or dress it down. These pinboards have received significant attention and usage in the education world with the rise of digital learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But they also have great potential to help increase collaboration in the workplace.  Collaboration is what makes Padlet special. One of the strengths of this platform is that each contributor has an equal voice.  What are ways you can use Padlet to Increase Virtual Collaboration? You might consider using Padlet for the following:   Icebreaker board to connect pre-meeting. Voting board to aid in deciding which topic should discuss at an upcoming meeting or which training they feel they might need. Resource board, one that could be for HR resources or project-specific collections. Pre-training exercise board to introduce employees a topic and track growth. Interactive exercises during a digital meeting Q and A board during a meeting. (Also sometimes called a parking lot.) Company feedback form.Exit ticket,...
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Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
Microsoft Outlook is used in many companies. Although much of Outlook is intuitive, many people have never received training on this platform and therefore are unaware of many of its helpful collaboration features. In this continuing series on virtual tools to enhance collaboration, I will share three cool features in Microsoft Outlook to boost virtual cooperation in your team.  @Mentions: Have you ever needed to send an email to a dozen coworkers but only needed an answer from two of them? In the past, you might have bolded, underline or highlight to draw attention to who you need feedback or input from, but this can be missed or overlooked by team members who do not read the email carefully. With Outlook, you have another option. Type @ followed by their name, and several things happen. First, their name is automatically added to the "To" line of the email message. Members of the team mentioned using the @ symbols will see their name...
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Project Management Software

Project Management Software

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
You might already know the power of project management software, but the skillful application of it into your virtual meeting can lead to dramatic boosts in collaboration for your team. Project management software like Basecamp, Wrike, Monday.com, and Clickup generally have three main tools to help teams manage their projects. The first is individual tools. These tools allow for individuals to keep track of their workload and have transparency with their direct supervisor. The next is collaborative tools which enable teams from all across organizations and outside partners to build and collaborate on projects. Finally, integrated tools allow managers to see and manage multiple projects at once and assess and adjust the need for the complexity and interconnectivity of these projects. Other notable features of these types of software include cloud-based solutions, combine workflow tools in one place, keep teams accountable, easy documentation, keeping track of budgets.  Check out this blog on Zapier, "The Best Free Project Management Software" The feature I...
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Google Jamboard

Google Jamboard

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
In my continuing series on tools for remote collaboration, I will be focusing on Google’s Jamboard. Not to be confused with Google's Jamboard display, the Jamboard is a virtual whiteboard simulator. Like other Google products, its strength lies in the fact that it is free and available for all operating systems and that it is incredibly intuitive to use. My favorite way to utilize Jamboard is during a virtual meeting, workshop or training. This tool allows for incredible user collaboration and engagement. In advance of the collaboration, you will want to access this google app through Google Workspace or by going to jamboard.google.com and prepare your set of boards in advance. This process is relatively swift and easy but essential to do before your meeting so that you are not asking people to wait as you set up the necessary boards. Within the board, you will set up a series of sub-boards that all participants can easily access. Participants can then...
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Zoom Breakout Rooms

Zoom Breakout Rooms

by Meghan SchiedelNo Comments
I love breakout rooms. I know they aren’t for everyone, but I think they are essential when working with larger teams. Many of your team members might be intimidated to speak in front of the larger group, but when placed in small groups, they can open up and share ideas or be task-focused. I thought this was a premium feature on zoom, but I did some research, and it turns out breakout rooms are included in all accounts; you just have to go into the web portal and then the more advanced settings to turn this on! I have the written steps to do this below, but I found that confusing, so I looked for a video tutorial to assist you.    Steps to enable the breakout room feature for all members of your organization: Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator with the privilege to edit account settings.In the navigation menu, click Account Management, then Account Settings.Navigate to the Breakout Room...
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