CPD Answers

Whether live or recorded the essentials of effective online CPD sessions are the same as face to face session:

• content which is understandable, beneficial and accurately communicated
• an opportunity for collegiate discussion and activity

Some general points about leading CPDMeets

Participants are more likely to register for a CPDMeet when they know the answer to “what’s in it for me?”

1. To help you plan your presentation:

• Identify the audience you want to or need to attract eg probationers, supply staff, senior leaders
• Identify the pains, problems, needs and desires of that audience and what would prompt them to take the kind of action you want them to take.
• Your presentation should be focused on what your audience wants to hear, balanced with what you have to say.
• Ask yourself “if the audience only remembers a few key points what should they be?”
• Optimise the visual content of your presentation (see Andrew Brown’s opportunity on CPDFind). Images have the capability to induce emotion and tell a story but only if they are relevant to the point you are trying to make.  Charts and graphs can also have the same function.
• Be as natural as you possibly can, authenticity is preferred to perfection so avoid reading from a script or what’s on the slides.
• Where possible make use of activities to engage your audience:
  • allocate a task
  • ask for questions
  • encourage use of Glowmeet annotation tools and pointers to foster collegiality 
• Be aware of your virtual body language – tone of voice, speed of speech and posture.

Finally, don’t be too disappointed if only a handful of colleagues join in the CPDMeet. This is a relatively new type of CPD and it may take a wee while before it really takes off!

Categories: glow, innovativecpd, leadership