8 Tips To Foster Emotional Connectivity In Online Training

8 Tips To Foster Emotional Connectivity In Online Training
Summary: Reading about the subject matter is one thing. Feeling it leads to memorable online training experiences that employees won't forget soon. In this article, I'll share 8 tips to foster emotional connectivity in your online training course.

8 Tips To Promote Emotional Connectivity For Successful Online Training

Emotions are the cornerstone of human experience. Every memory we hold is tied to an emotion, good or bad. So, it makes perfect sense that truly effective online training must evoke feelings. Employees need to have an emotional connection in order to build skills and expand knowledge. Here are some tips to make online training personal, and foster emotional connectivity in your online training course.

1. Provide Personalized Online Support

Online training isn't "one size fits all". Online support resources should also follow this all-important rule. Your employees need personalized online support that caters to their goals, expectations, and performance gaps. They know that they'll get the help they need to succeed. As such, they are more likely to emotional engage during online training. Employees also appreciate the fact that your organization is willing and able to provide personalized online support. For example, a community forum that allows them to ask questions and address their concerns, or targeted microlearning resources they can access whenever it suits their needs.

2. Incorporate Real-World Examples

Real-world examples and case studies help employees see the connection between online training and everyday challenges they must overcome. They are able to see how their hard work pays off in the form of goal achievement and improved productivity. For instance, the branching scenario allows them to build their interpersonal skills and provide better service. Examples also serve another important purpose, which is to encourage self-reflection. Employees have the power to see the situation from a different perspective and evaluate their own cognitions.

3. Tell Your Corporate Learners A Tale

Storytelling is one of the most powerful and profound training tools. Stories in eLearning feature thought-provoking eLearning characters, relatable settings, and familiar challenges. As such, employees can connect with them on a deeper level and put themselves into the shoes of the protagonist. Start by creating a detailed outline of the story that aligns with the learning objectives. Then create a cast of eLearning characters and develop your arc. This involves an introduction that sets the scene, followed by the problem, conflict, and resolution.

4. Convey Your Own Personal Experiences

Use your own past experiences and personal interests to create an emotional connection with your audience. For example, you've experienced similar challenges throughout your career. Turn these obstacles into a compelling anecdote that employees can relate to, or use as a springboard for your next online training scenario or simulation. Employees will respect the fact that you've added a personal touch to the online training course, and that you've gone through the same struggles and successfully managed to achieve your goals.

5. Know The Emotional Significance Of  Your Color Scheme

Colors set the mood for the entire design of your online training course. Red signals urgency, while blue and green calm employees and put them in a favorable state of mind. For this reason, it's important to evaluate your current color scheme and examine its emotional significance. What is the true meaning of the hues that you use? Are you conveying the right tone or are you hindering the emotional connection with your employees? Also, bear in mind that colors have different meanings based on cultural and societal norms. Research your audience to learn as much as you can about their preferences and backgrounds.

6. Learn About Their Personal Interests

What motivates and inspires your corporate learners? Are there certain hobbies that they enjoy during their personal time? Conduct surveys and polls to discover their interests, and then integrate them into your online course design. For instance, a majority of your employees are nature lovers who enjoy the Great Outdoors when they aren't at work. Thus, you might consider nature-themed layouts and graphics, as well as online training scenarios and simulations that feature adventurous settings and analogies. For example, a serious game with a camping theme that helps build work-related skills.

7. Integrate Relatable Images

Images get the mental gears turning and spark emotion. We see a photo of someone crying and we immediately feel empathy. As such, visuals are a great way to foster emotional connectivity and increase knowledge retention. The trick is to find images that evoke the right emotions and resonate with your employees. They must also pique their interest without causing too much controversy. Otherwise, visuals become nothing more than a distraction. Use royalty free images that tie into the topic, or take your own photos in the workplace. Then use a photo editing tool to cut them down to size and optimize them for mobile viewing. An emotionally compelling image has the power to make text-based online training content more interactive and memorable.

8. Take Advantage Of Social Learning Opportunities

Social interactivity fosters emotional connectivity. Employees are able to communicate and collaborate with their peers, even if they are located on different continents. Social learning may come in the form of social media groups, online discussions, corporate eLearning blogs, or live webinars where employees can learn about the latest training topics and interact with their peers and online instructors. Create a schedule that features a new task, compliance topic, or training pain point every week. Then post prompts or questions related to the theme. This serves as a starting point for your employees and gets them involved in the online discussion.

These 8 tips can help you create an emotional connection with your employees and create more meaningful online training courses. It's all a matter of getting to know them, and relating with them on a personal level. Getting acquainted may require time and effort, but it will surely pay off in the long run.

Emotional connectivity goes hand-in-hand with emotional intelligence, which is another important part of the eLearning puzzle. Read the article 5 Tips To Use Emotional Intelligence In eLearning to discover more tips on how to use emotional intelligence in eLearning.