8 Questions to Build Your Virtual Confidence
Contributor: Jenna Hoover
Today, many of us are scrambling to find virtual tools for meetings, classes, or to simply stay connected. In response, we've accelerated experimentation with new virtual tools and had to become more systematic to gain confidence to use them with clients.
At See What I Mean, I have had the chance to experiment with the virtual tool, Mural. I learned that collaborating, researching, and listening to others built my confidence. I also learned not to get too invested in the technology. If it doesn’t seem to fit don’t force it. Using a technology that has a steep learning curve may have a negative impact on the meeting, or even hurt the relationship with the attendees. I would love to share tips I’ve gathered on my journey to be confident with virtual tools.
The Search: What tools are available?
I spent time researching virtual tools through google, blog posts, and scouting out tools that other organizations have found successful. After compiling a list of tools I felt fit what I wanted to accomplish, I began narrowing it down. I did this by watching tutorial videos, seeing what other organizations accomplished with the tools, and looking at reviews.
The Trial: Is this tool easy to use?
Once I had a smaller list, I began to focus on each tool individually. I began experimenting in each tool and analyzed all their features, components and difficulties. When I was practicing with the tool, I took the time to ask myself:
How long is it going to take me to learn and get value out of this tool?
How many tutorials or help videos will I have to watch?
Does this tool fit the look of the organization?
Would I be able to explain how to use this tool in a simple way.
The Mockup: Will this tool fit my purpose?
After I found a tool that would work well for the organization, I created a mockup of the project. I did this to see if the tool had the capacity to accomplish everything essential for the project to run successfully.
The test: Will it work for my users?
After creating a mockup, we invited others to test the tool. During this process, we asked for feedback about the tool and analyzed the ease or difficulty of the tool for new users.
The Users: What input do my users have?
After hearing the feedback from others, we took this time to reevaluate the tool and how we are using it. Some questions we asked ourselves were:
Was this tool the most effective way to present the information?
How much time was spent trying to learn how to use the tool?
What was liked and disliked?
Did everyone have access to utilize the tool?
Did the tool accommodate different types of learners?
The value: Is this tool the most effective for my purpose and my users?
Although the virtual tool may be visually pleasing or a lot of resources were put into making it work, It’s important to understand the tool might not fit your organization’s needs.
Pause and decide if the tool effectively does what you want and adds value to your organization. If not, it may be time to look into other sources.
The Revision: What final changes do I need to make?
Once we decided on a final tool, we had some final touches before presenting to a group. We took the time to make sure all of the content was correct, tested the links and organization flow, gave authority to co-hosts or facilitators, and locked certain parts not to be edited by other users.
The Revision Again: How can I enhance this tool for next time?
After using the final tool, it’s important for us to ask for feedback so we continuously improve how we are utilizing the tool and to see how effective it is for our users.
While at See What I Mean during this interesting time, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to work with virtual tools. It has given me the chance to see what tools I find most effective. Through this process, I have realized the importance of learning from others and being comfortable with trial and error to find what best works for your specific situation.
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