5 Ways Video Conferencing Makes Employee Training Simple

One of the most pressing issues a business executive faces is finding creative and innovative ways to keep employees trained and motivated. Ongoing training and development sessions not only provide a means for employees to grow on a personal and professional level, but it also assures team members will be equipped with the skills and knowledge needed for a profitable business.

Maintaining an ongoing training program is not always easy, especially when teams operate on an international level. In this situation, employees are either asked to travel to one general location for participation in a training session or the trainer must travel to the remote office and conduct the training there. With the high cost of travel, neither one of these options is a viable solution.

Businesses today are transforming the way company-wide training is conducted. Company personnel are no longer required to leave the comfort of their homes and offices. By introducing online training through web-based video conferencing, not only are businesses able to drastically reduce the cost of travel but they also see an increase in employee productivity and job satisfaction. Here's how:
Conduct new employee training: The first few weeks of a new job can be extremely stressful. Often times large organizations either have to fly a trainer in from their headquarters or send the new employee to a remote location, which adds to that stress. Using video conferencing for employee on-boarding helps to reduce the stress caused by starting a new job. New hires can participate in live job training from the comfort of their home office.Increase amount of learning and knowledge: On the job training should not be limited to new employees. The business world is constantly evolving. Having current employees up-to-date on industry trends and statistics allows them to adapt at a much quicker pace. This is even more important when multiple business locations are involved. Changes in an industry can take place over night. Online training through video conferencing allows businesses to face these changes immediately by giving them a unified platform to reach out to all their employees.Lower industry compliance risks: Keeping employees informed on workplace compliance laws is extremely important. Online compliance training keeps employees informed, reducing the risk of complaints, which helps to create an effective work environmentEducate, motivate and engage: There is nothing more damaging to a business than low employee moral and lack of motivation. Often times this happens in a poor economy. Keeping employees motivated during these times will help organizations stay successful and on task. With video conferencing, companies can instantly communicate with their staff and provide them with education that inspires.Build a training database and library: The great thing about video conferencing is you can record your training sessions and use them at a later time. This is useful when employees need to be retrained on a specific topic or company trainers are not available to meet face-to-face.

In order to run a fluent business, keeping new and current employees trained and updated on company policy is a must. Online training through video conferencing is a cost efficient and flexible method that every business should look into implementing.

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Article Submitted On: January 19, 2011

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Video Conferencing - Communication Made Simple

For many office professionals, keeping in contact with their offices in other areas of the state or country can be a challenge. It is important that a company is able to act as one team and to follow the same practices, no matter where the office is located. In order to keep communication between the sites, they must look for ways to incorporate all sites into the discussions and to do this without the constant expense of making travel arrangements for everyone to meet face to face.

Video conferencing is the solution that works best for most companies. They are able to get each of their individual sites, no matter how far apart they are, into one central location for meetings. Video conferencing works across state lines and even over seas into foreign countries. Each individual office simply signs in at a specific time (based on the time zone) and the video conference allows them to see what is going on at the other sites.

When a company is able to hold training sessions and general conference meetings from the comfort of each of their individual offices, they have found a way to keep everyone on the same page and to keep the company flowing as one cohesive unit. Video conferencing allows the company these benefits. There are also other conferencing technologies that are available to help achieve these goals.

When you are using video conferencing, you can also make use of projectors to help get the point across or to start a discussion point with the people that are attending the video conference. By adding presentations on the projector you are adding another dimension to the already technology advanced meeting. Using a projector allows you to show all of the meeting attendees certain pieces of information that would be too difficult to explain using just words.

When you are on a video conference, you can incorporate other forms of technology that will aid in the success of the meeting. Each additional form of communication that you can incorporate into your presentation will ensure that every that is in attendance is on the same page and will be adhering to the same policies. As a company, providing a unified service or product to the customers no matter where they are located is critical. When differences start to develop between the sites and how they practice business, the business will surely begin to feel the strain.

Video conferencing is not something that is very difficult to set up in the office place. By following certain direction you will find that your office place will be operating more smoothly and that all members of your business will feel as if they are in the loop and that they understand the direction that the company is working towards. By opening the communication between the different sites, you will find that more great ideas are presented to the group and the possibility of great opportunities for growth could come forward.

In summary, incorporating video conferencing, projectors, and other technologies into your meetings can mean growth and better communication among all members of your team. In order for a business to be successful, all parts of the team must act as one and operate under the same guidelines and rules. This can easily be accomplished when you combine technology and communication in the work place.

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How To Improve Communication Skills In 5 Simple Steps

Learning how to improve communication skills is a continuous affair. After all, you're only as good as your last performance.

Unless you're the type of person who is satisfied with being second best at everything (and I trust that you aren't), then I'm sure that you will find use for this information one way or another.

If you want to learn how to improve communication skills, then applythe 5 simple steps below.

Step 1: Do Your Research.

It's always important for you to do your research first. Find out what your intended audience likes and dislikes. Does this particular group belong to a certain age bracket? Is your audience young or old?

Consider the demographics before you even work on what you want to communicate to them. After all, Einstein's theories - no matter how brilliant - are useless when explained to a bunch of toddlers.

Step 2: Establish Rapport.

Before you even get to the heart of the topic, I suggest you make a connection with the audience first.

Ask them questions on what their expectations are, or any other questions related to what you're about to discuss. Find common ground and everything will go more smoothly.

Step 3: Practice Your Art.

If you want to know how to improve communication skills, then you must do what anyone who wants to develop his abilities does - practice!

Whether you want to practice with an audience or with just a bunch of pillows doesn't matter, as long as you practice.

Doing this at least gets you used to communicating with other people other than yourself. Besides, not practicing dulls your skills - no matter how impressive they already are.

Step 4: Dress To Impress.

Communication is not just oral; and it is not just written. Communication is also the way you present yourself to the people you're about to convey your ideas to.

Dress shabbily to a bunch of business men and you can bet there'll be no support from them. Dress too ostentatiously in a seminar and you can bet no one will remember a thing you say. You must dress in a way that is appropriate for your topic and your audience.

Step 5: Read Between The Lines.

People don't always say what is in their heads, so you need to learn how to see through their reactions and their questions. When presenting, try to listen to what your audience is really trying to say instead of worrying whether or not you're making a good impression.

Being able to read their body language can help you a lot in detecting how they are thinking and feeling at the moment. Interpreting body language is a whole new topic on its own; just search for "reading body language" in google and you'll find lots of information on the subject.

By understanding what it is that they're really after, you'll be able to cater to their needs as well as improve your communication skills tenfold!

Everyone needs a lesson on how to improve communication skills. Because of today's technology, many people have traded their innate abilities for something a little less recognizable. Don't be like those people and start working on your communication skills right now before it's too late.

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