Restraint, restraint, RESTRAINT
Remember my general rule of thumb with regards to the use of slides? Use the minimum amount of slides necessary to get the job done. Anything beyond the minimum makes participants either lazy or distracted. In a virtual session you have other means at your disposal to distribute information, like chat, which means the minimum amount of slides necessary to get the job done goes down.
You can bring the number of slides down even further by investing in a digital paper tablet that allows you to share your screen, like a Remarkable. This creates a more interactive and spontaneous feel, as participants see you build models step by step, just like with a flip-over in a physical room.
To give you an idea: in a simple 3 hour session on feedback I will generally use 1 slide: the slide with the feedback model. Really - just one slide.. Everything else—like the agenda, exercise instructions or evaluation link—I communicate directly or via the chat to keep engagement high.
You might have your doubts because I’m making it somewhat harder for participants to get the right information. It’s not presented to them on a silver platter through slides. And this is exactly the point. In doing so, I make sure that they pay attention.
In the end, attention is the highest currency in any session. By minimizing slides and making information just a bit harder to grasp, you’re inviting participants to stay alert, lean in, and actively process what you’re saying. And that’s exactly the kind of engagement you want.
This is an excerpt from my upcoming book on how to deliver awesome trainings. It comes from the chapter Virtual Sessions. This theory is also covered in my Train-the-Trainer programme: Inspire to Develop.