Is the production timeline fixed? Have you decided on your attire for the event? Will you appear with your glasses or not, remember the reflection that spoilt the view last time? Have you shared the script to the debaters? Has the draft for marketing arrived? What was the footfall for the last event? I think the moderating skill is missing in our L&D Head, what do you think? Should we train them to be a jockey to host this show? Who is doing hot news today? Is the concept for Coffee with Cory, ready? We need to change the speaker for “A Day in the Life of”, what options do we have? “CXO Connect” is coming up next week, have we completed the dry run?
“No, these are not questions that are heard in a Television Network recording studio. These could be questions that we may be hearing more frequently in Learning & Development in Organisations as we are getting used to the #thenewnormal.”
The Learning Days coming out of “Live Event” would be on the rise as we move ahead in #thenewnormal and it might continue for a longer time. This would be a hot trend and competencies required for L&D professionals could include skills that might not have been very necessary earlier.
Skill Refresh for L&D Professionals
Work from home option is going to be adopted by many of the Organisations in the future because it is very evident that this is part of the long-term plan for many global Organisations today. If the business is moving towards that direction, then as business partners, L&D professionals have to look at what would be the most engaging methodology that they could innovate to keep the learning intact in Organisations. “Live Event” is going to be an interesting add on to the Learning methodologies and the skills required for L&D professionals are going to very different from what it is now. For some, this could be a “Champetency” already. If competency is a skill developed and implemented successfully, champetency is something that is natural, hidden, or already in open for the person and is a cakewalk for that individual as they use it. We could call it the practitioner’s magic wand.
Let us look at the refreshed skills for an L&D professional that would be required to run a “Live Event”.
#Technology
Even without this change in #thenewnormal, it is imperative for HR professionals to pick up Technology Skills. Organisations might already have the infrastructure to host “Live Events” or as L&D Professionals, one could recommend a good platform that could be adopted by the Organisation. This new methodology would need skills to manage events and make sure there are no technology glitches when “Live Event” is happening. “Sorry for the Interruption” is something that appeared on TV in the ’70s and that would not be appreciated now.
#Visualising
Live events need visualisers to see what could go well and wrong and plan. Visualisers in L&D teams must be able to conceptualise the programme with objectives, expected outcome, speakers and then think of how it can be delivered in an engaging manner. Should it be an interview, panel discussion, debate, it could be anything depending on the experience level, culture, expectations of the audience. The scripting and screenplay has to be created with the visualisation that holds the audience in mind
#Anchoring
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the craft from drifting due to wind or current. An anchor in the live event is the person whose responsibility it is to make sure the programme is on track and is not deviating. This is more of programme management and sometimes could be a commentator.
#Moderating
If someone is not good with programme management but are good with moderating a conversation in a very engaging manner keeping in mind the knowledge level of speakers and audience, could be a good fit to be hosting events.
#Marketing
A good product or a programme needs good branding and marketing to gain reach and popularity. Especially for live events, this needs a good network and a clear sense of advertising it to the right audience in the best possible manner. Relationship management and human psychology strengths could come in handy in this. The timing could be a major differentiator.
#CORE Skills
Organizational Awareness, Creativity, and Analytical ability are the core skills that would be required to make sure that Live Events are high TRP. A person with all or a few of the above-mentioned skills combined with the CORE skills may be a very good value add to the L&D team in the Organisation. If people in the media were looking at opportunities in Organisations for HR or Marketing roles, then it could be the right time to make a switch and then grow.
Cross-sector integration might give birth to a lot of innovation.
Champetency Match
If you think you have these as your “Champetency” and you have a passion for people development, get your attire ready and present your programme concepts to a Chief Learning Officer to gain an interesting new position in their Organisation. A job in which one can utilize their strengths is the best place to be in, for the best job satisfaction and innovation.
We could expect organisations to soon have learning days coming more from Live Events.
3,2,1… Lights on, Camera, You are now Live, Action…
