stevelee@teamsandleaders.co.uk
Learning Together Post-COVID
LEARNING TOGETHER SAFELY AFTER COVID-19
LEARNING TOGETHER SAFELY AFTER COVID-19
We can get together in the same space again - safely - to re-ignite the unique spark that makes for effective teamwork
Working Together and Learning Together
When people are together, face to face, the synergy and effective communication is almost impossible to replicate at a distance. There’s a buzz, an energy, and a joy that builds relationships, inspires, motivates, and engages colleagues. It makes a team feel like a team, and it spurs on employees to get creative, to get decisions made, and to get things done. As we get used to working together safely in the same space, we can use the good practice we have put in place to begin learning together, too, making sure that training room procedures are as safe as possible.
Keeping the Benefits of Remote Work
Covid-19 has had devastating effects for many, and this reminds us how important it is to operate as safely as possible as we re-establish working and learning together.
But many have noted, too, that the natural world has benefited, and that companies have discovered new, efficient ways of working that are highly effective for some people, some of the time. Remote working and e-learning are vital parts of the mix, and now that the benefits of these have been realised, we can lock them in for the future.
But it is a basic human need to be with others and to learn and grow with others, and these, too, have vital parts to play. With all stakeholders working together we can re-establish total communication and an enriched learning experience.
Why Does Face-to-Face Learning Work so Well?
The richest source of learning can be in the realisation that our behaviour affects others, both positively and negatively. In observing their reactions we learn invaluable lessons. If we have motivated or upset someone with a comment, if we have helped someone to understand, or left them puzzled, we know it best by their reactions – not only in what they say, but through total communication. Often, the non-verbal signals we pick up are essential to our understanding and empathy. And in working face to face, we can get this complete experience of understanding a number of people all at the same time. As mutual understanding grows in this way, we build trust with our colleagues, and with that trust come more openness and more positive ability to be creative together.
Safe Working Protocols for the Training Room
In June 2021 we plan to be running our in-person training programmes, with adaptations to ensure safe working practices. Even if government restrictions have been completely lifted, we still plan to keep in place those Covid-safe practices that make good sense.
We don’t believe people can learn effectively unless they are confident that their learning environment is safe. Advice is constantly changing, and we follow it meticulously to stay on top of what is current best practice.
For a training event to be safe and successful, we need to satisfy the protocols of all parties. As well as official Home Office legislation/guidance, we base our decisions on:-
1. Our client
There may be company-specific protocols which staff are required to work within, whether in the usual workplace, or in a training environment.
2. The venue
Every venue is different, and so each has its own carefully thought-out systems for safe working that work in with the specific layout of their buildings and grounds. But all venues are striving hard to reassure clients that it is safe to meet and to train together. They are providing all the adaptations one might expect – large, airy spaces, sanitising stations, careful food provision, and extra cleaning, plus numerous other changes to normal practices.
3. Industry Lead Bodies
Advice comes from trade associations and other industry lead bodies to help us to maximise safety. Our own go-to resources include advice from: The Outdoor Education Advisor's Panel, The Institute of Outdoor Learning, and the Ch. Institute of Personnel Development, as well as guidance from the hospitality sector lead bodies.
4. Our own risk-assessed protocols
To keep our own staff and our course participants safe we have our own risk-assessed ways of working that are needed to ensure maximum safety during group discussions and practical projects. We adapt what we do to keep to these protocols while still providing inspiring, effective learning experiences.
Safely, and with due care, we can get things moving again. We can't wait to get people together in the same space so that the 'spark' that happens in those moments can happen again.
