Let me tell you about the curveball that I was thrown during training recently delivered. It was a Monday morning, and I had my equipment set up to facilitate a virtual workshop about decision-making. I was prepared for another routine workshop that I have taught numerous times. My arrangement included a laptop, two monitors, a professional wired headset with a microphone, a bottle of water, and my facilitator’s guide. For this workshop, a web camera was not necessary because the company that I was contracting with does not use cameras. The training was going well without a hitch… until I heard a consistently loud noise.

Right below my window, the maintenance staff was blowing and vacuuming the fallen leaves. I continued with the training, but the sound became even more distracting. To get away from the noise, I disconnected from my second monitor and headed to the kitchen only for the leaf blowers to follow me to the exact location.

My husband seeing my distress suggested that I conduct the training in a quiet place that could block out the noise—our bathroom! He dutifully carried the kitchen chair into the bathroom and placed it in front of the toilet. I rested my laptop on top of the toilet lid, placed my facilitator’s guide on my lap, and continued the training without missing a beat. Luckily, my camera was turned off. I did share with the participants that I was making adjustments to ensure that they had an exceptional learning experience. We all got a chuckle and the learning process kept going forward.

What can I say? Being a trainer for over 25 years and facilitating virtual training since 2012, there is never a dull moment. Therefore, we must always be prepared for the unpredictable. Here are my five tips to optimize your outcome when the unexpected occurs during your virtual training:

Relax and shine. Take a deep breath and assess the situation. Acknowledge that there is an issue; do not try to ignore it.

Be agile. Think quick on your feet. Make appropriate adjustments on the fly.

Know your content inside and out. Familiarizing yourself with the training materials allows you to be able to pivot when necessary.  

Minimize distractions. Invest in soundproof acoustic panels (I bought my panels due to the leaf-blowing fiasco). The trick to ensuring that the panels do not fall is to add Velcro to the wall and the top of the panel.

Find a quiet space. Having an office space outside of your home may be ideal when conducting virtual training.

So, you may be asking yourself how did my training end. The course evaluations from the participants were rather positive. They were empathetic and appreciated my commitment to delivering the training despite the background noise.

Yes, I shared my training woe for us to have a good laugh today, but I also wanted you to know that you are not alone when it comes to navigating in this “new normal” where in-person training is now conducted virtually. If you are a trainer who is overwhelmed and stressed, I invite you to schedule a complimentary Rescue My Training call to discuss ways to make your virtual training extraordinary!