Last week, I published a blog post detailing one of the biggest discoveries we’ve made during our evolution to fully virtual, simulation-centric learning. It was one of the most popular posts I’ve ever published, and the comments and feedback have been warm and supportive.

The basic gist of the post was to share my thoughts on a key element we overlooked when transitioning to remote program facilitation: that virtual learning creates a consistency of capabilities never seen in our industry. Over the past few months, I have personally been able to deliver the same core content and consistent message on six continents in the same week to the same company on how they make money and what better decisions they can make to drive the metrics that matter. The consistency of message is making a real difference and key Talent Development leaders are recognizing the profound shift in capabilities and decision-making.

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After six months of living through the most incredible disruption of business processes in our lifetimes, it is hard to fathom that we missed the most important value proposition of delivering virtual learning.

During this time, I have shared insights gathered from the design, development, and delivery of simulation-centric workshops. These insights include:

• Greater absorption of concepts because you can space learning out over time in smaller chunks
• Ability to fit learning like simulation workshops into the work-learning balance
• A deeper intimacy with learners via virtual breakout rooms
• Improved comprehension of concepts because participants can hear clearer and can ask questions in a variety of modalities
• Integration of learning tools such as polls, shared whiteboarding, animations, short videos, and instant translations
• No travel, food, or lodging budgets required

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It is happening over and over millions of times a day during virtual sales calls: “The over credentialization.” Over credentializing is the process of talking too much about yourself and trying way too hard to get others on your call to think you know what you are talking about and are worthy of their time.

The only thing that will ever convince prospects that you are worthy of their time is providing business value through a valid business reason for having the sales meeting.

What does over credentializing sound like?

In these new and disrupted times, I am so focused on our clients that I rarely have time for vendor calls. This week, at the suggestion of a colleague, I agreed to join a call where a company was pitching us a new idea for some sort of business process outsourcing. It sounded interesting so I decided to give it a shot. What did I have to lose beside a precious hour?

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Business Fatigue is real. And it seems that it is all anybody is talking about. “Hi, how are you? Oh, good, but I’m exhausted” must be repeated about 5 billion times a day in the course of new normal business conversations. It is clear to most that the COVID-19 Pandemic has also been the greatest accelerator of business change we have ever experienced. The global economy is shifting at the speed of light toward a new model of interaction and engagement that thrives on less physical contact and less friction in systems. In the good old days, getting from point A to point B through air travel presented a lot of friction to the system (not to mention the human body and travel budgets). When you think about it, jumping from Zoom room to Zoom room with the touch of a button is pretty frictionless in comparison.

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During the past several months, as the reality of the pandemic has sunk in, business organizations have accelerated their evolution of remote leadership within matrixed structures. Before the pandemic, many managers realized (and lamented) they had direct reports they had never “met personally.” Now, working with remote employees in the matrix that you may never meet is the new reality. There is no lamenting or complaining that you can’t do your job because of remoteness. This change has left many leaders wondering what they are supposed to do and how to do it. Clearly new skills and best practices of leading remotely in the matrix are required.

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