Narrowing the Distance

Just yesterday a colleague and I did a presentation on the 5 steps to success when using video conferencing as a consultative tool. I figured it would make for a logical post on our blog. Before actually getting into the steps however, I need to explain the graphic above as it will likely be the most important takeaway from this post.

For a consultation to be successful you basically need three things to occur. First you need to make sure that you develop an effective intervention for whatever it is your client is needing you to do. This may be a new marketing plan, a new piece of technology, or a new behavior intervention for a student (or teacher) you are trying to help control in a classroom setting. Secondly, you need to know that the intervention is being implemented appropriately. I can’t tell you how many times the never ending argument starts by putting the blame for an intervention not working on an inappropriate intervention by the consultant. The consultant then fires back saying “the intervention is fine, you’re just not implementing in correctly.” This is where the final piece of the diagram comes in: measured outcomes. By identifying the outcome you hope to accomplish beforehand, the task of creating an appropriate intervention and implementing it correctly increases ten fold. Having said that, here are the five steps to success:

1. Obtain Appropriate Permissions First -
   More often than not there is a higher power that needs to allow the use of video conferencing as a consultative tool. Some departments have strict policies in place that do not allow the type of technology used for this type of support. In addition, there are often privacy and ethical issues to consider. For example, are you videoing this intervention, do all parties being videoed know the situation? If so, will that change things?
2. Practice Makes Perfect -
   Never, I repeat never, start using video conferencing technology in place of face to face consultation without doing a few practice runs first. Technology doesn’t always work right and if it can happen it will happen, especially when you need it to not happen the most. Be prepared for this with a back up plan and knowledge about how to fix whatever problems you may encounter
3. Define the behavior and setting you need to develop the intervention for -
   This rule was developed for more of an educational setting, but I can see how it would apply for almost any other area as well. If the point of the consultation is to provide a solution to a problem, you need to clearly define what that problem is and where it occurs the most. Choose one setting and stick to that setting. Otherwise your data will not pan out later. There are too many external influences to consider.
4. Collect Baseline Data -
   You know the problem and the setting, now collect the measurable data you decided upon before you implement any intervention. Make sure the problem really exists. This data can most always be collected using a simple webcam and internet connection in the setting you choose to observe.
5. Develop Intervention and Collect More Data -
   You have your baseline data… Now develop your intervention. You can demonstrate this intervention through video conferencing until you are confident those who are implementing your intervention can do it right. Take a sales rep for example. Have them role play with a colleague in front of the webcam the intervention you’ve developed until you are satisfied. Then you can be sure that if it doesn’t work, it’s the intervention that’s the problem, not the implementation. Then, as the step says, collect more data. If the data isn’t looking good, it’s back to the drawing board (see graphic and top of page and start at step 1 again).

That’s it. Now you’re on your way to moving part of your consulting online. In our experience, we usually meet face-to-face at first, then move a large portion of our work online. In one example still in progress, we had to travel 2 hours one-way to meet the client. Had we continued face-to-face meetings, we would have only been able to fit them in once every couple of months. Instead, during the primary visit, a webcam was installed. We can now meet and observe around 3 times a week and the data we are getting is unbelievable (look for it in a later post).

A client and I were having a discussion the other day about where the majority of his time was spent. The idea was that after we nailed this down, we could then figure out how to make at least part of this time consuming task virtual. Turns out the majority of his time was spent nowhere… Well, I guess he was somewhere, but nowhere that actually provided any added value to his business. You see, this particular client spent most of his time traveling. He was either on the road going to a meeting, training, evaluation, observation or some other off site related business obligation. Regardless of what it was he needed to be doing, the longest part of it was the travel involved.

Long story short, we decided that diving into the world of video conferencing may be worth a shot. With video conferencing (done right anyway), he could attend any meeting from any where in the world with just his laptop, a web cam and an internet connection. Providing the other party had the same technology, he could also have the same experience for evaluations, observations, and maybe even parts of his trainings. Sounds great right? It is, but before you run to Office Max to pick up your own web cam or invest in several thousand dollars worth of video conferencing equipment, you should read this post. It not only gives pointers, but explains how to get started with little or no costs involved (except for your web cam and computer of course).

So we know that video conferencing allows you to virtually transmit yourself (both audio and video) to anywhere in the world through an internet connection. That’s great, but how do you do it? Well, first you will need a computer with internet access (sorry, I can’t help you there) and a fairly good web cam (check back for upcoming post on web cam ratings). Once you have this, it’s just a matter of finding the right software to serve your needs. I personally use Skype, which offers high quality voice and video transfer for free. For this to work however, you will need to make sure the person you are conferencing with also has Skype installed. By default, Skype will let you conference call with up to 9 people, but only video conference with one person. There are extensions available that allow you to add up to four people (three and yourself) to a video conference call, but these extensions are created by external users and are not supported by Skype itself. If you need more than that, you will probably need to look elsewhere for a solution. And just as a side note, Skype allows you to purchase Skype In (receive a phone number that anyone in the world can use to call you from any phone) and Skype Out (you can call any land line phone in the world for low rates – free to the US and Canada). You can receive both for less than $70/year. Sounds better than those $150+/month bills your getting now huh? If the person your talking to has Skype however, you can talk through it for free instead.

Another similar video conferencing option that allows up to 4 participants is SightSpeed. You can purchase the business version of this for $189.95/year for one user. There’s also a personal edition available. Why pay when you can get the same thing through Skype for free? Sometimes you get what you pay for when it comes to support. SightSpeed offers excellent support that may come in handy if you are using this technology for important business meetings or transactions.

Other notables you may want to try that are free:

• ooVoo – According to the site, ooVoo is – the next evolution in online communication — a remarkably easy way to have a face-to-face video conversation with friends, family or colleagues, no matter where they are in the world. Give it some time and I say ooVoo will replace Skype for my video conferencing needs.
• Any instant messenger service such as Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, or Paltalk (allows up to 10 video conference participants at once and has some other nifty conference room features).

This should be plenty to get you started. Keep in mind that the success of using video conferencing relies on planning ahead. For example, if video conferencing fails in the middle of a meeting, you should have a backup plan. If you’re using video conferencing for something like observations, know what data you need to collect ahead of time and how you are going to collect it. For example, one of our consultants is using Skype for providing support to educators in classrooms. He observes for 15 minute intervals 3 days a week. He starts by gathering baseline data on specific behaviors. He then teaches the educators the interventions through Skype’s video conferencing feature. Next, it’s back to the 15 minute interval observations to determine if the intervention works. He can instantly determine if the issue is the intervention, the person implementing the intervention, or some outside factor when evaluating progress. Success rates are nearing 98%… Can you imagine how different things would be if he just sat down, turned on the web cam and said “Okay, let’s see what’s going on today” without having planned ahead the exact data he needed to collect? Plan your work and then work your plan!

I’ve spent the last month or so delving through enough information on e-learning practices and options to make most people go insane. I considered myself well versed to start with, but it seems that at least once a week there is a new technology or method for e-learning available. In one of the books I just finished, the authors report the minimum cost you’re looking at to provide an e-learning solution is in the “thousands”.  That’s just nuts. Sure, if you’re going to hire an e-learning consultant and buy an expensive commercial e-learning application you’re looking at thousands, but there are several ways you can get the benefit of e-learning without the cost (sometimes it’s free!). Here are a few examples:

• Blogs
• Wikis
• Open source learning management systems (LMS)
• PowerPoint published as an html document
• Instant Messaging and Whiteboard software
• Video Conferencing
• Remote desktop solutions like GoToMyPC or GoToMeeting

If you’re new to e-learning , you may want to take time and Google search to get the basics.  Keep in mind that these are only a few of the options that are available to everyone.  We will begin expanding on them in the upcoming months so that you will have a resource guide on where to look, what to look for, and which ones we think are best.  

The landscape of e-learning today is eerily similar to the European Middle Ages that we all were forced to learn about in high school social studies. There were royalty who had access to everything and the peasants who could only have as their “lords” would allow. E-learning has been developing along with this separation between the “have’s” and “have not’s”, or maybe more appropriately titled the “people who know how” (or have the enormous amount of money to pay someone who does) and those “who don’t”. So for those who have been considering e-learning solutions, it is time for the working class to revolt! Technological skill and budget constraints are no longer barriers that separate you and your organization from e-learning that will maximize your productivity and effectiveness. The gap between the professional programmer and the working professional is narrowing and is currently at the point where learners will not perceive the difference. Recognizing that effective e-learning is within everyone’s reach, there are 3 reasons to consider this as a tool to enhance your organization, business, or classroom outcomes.

1. Effective. For those who are unsure, the efficacy question regarding e-learning as compared to face to face training has been answered time and time again (for those interested in the research behind this, send us a note and we will email you references). The argument that it is not as good as face to face doesn’t hold up to the data. It may not “feel” the same, but that’s okay. Experienced professionals should be past the focus on “feelings” in training. It is about results. Ensuring that your participants gain the material and are able to use it in their practice.

2. Efficient. E-learning removes time, cost, and distance barriers and equalizes the playing field between small business and major corporations. You do not need a company jet to meet your client face to face when there is free video conferencing software that allows you to connect with them in less then a second. The goal of your organization is not to spend hours traveling to reach your client or for your clients to spend hours (and money) to reach you. We developed e-solutions for an educational support agency that had a small number of staff and a large geographic region to cover. E-learning solutions allow their services to be available around the clock and for them to instantly be where they are needed as long as there is internet access.

3. Encompassing. Anything that can be done face to face has a digital solution counterpart. Where we have made the most dramatic assistance for organization is when we have looked at a product that was developed for a particular application and reconfigured it for a new use. One such example is when we were providing consultation support to a client using a free videoconferencing software (www.skype.com). To maximize our support we needed to be able to talk directly to the client during the consultation without anyone else listening. We switched a few plugs on a wireless lapel microphone, plugged in earbuds, and were able to give immediate and private feedback.

As you consider e-learning or are looking for a way to do it better, don’t just look at the big companies. Those expensive systems are paying for the large executive salaries and office buildings. When your organization invests tens of thousands of dollars in a program, it is similar to having an in-law that will never leave. You dare not suggest that you get rid of this person for fear of retribution, but they do get in the way of progress. This issue of significant monetary investment is that your company or school has spent so much money on a particular system that switching to something new is not even a consideration. This is painful because there are better and more efficient solutions that cost thousands less (dare I say free with an internet connection!?!). Find something that you like, then dig deep to find it at no cost or low-cost. The solutions are there; use this blog as the springboard for your journey.