How Working Remotely Can Work for You

This blog is published in partnership with CHART's Silver Partner Gilmore Global.

DIRECT LINK TO FREE 30-MINUTE ADAPTIVE LEARNING COURSE 

For trainers in the hospitality industry, remote work may seem anathema to everything they do. Because of the pandemic and the need for social distancing, the inability to train in person suddenly upends the traditional model (let alone the fallout on the hospitality industry in general).

Such challenges, though, do bring opportunities to experiment on how remote work can work for you. Some trainers have been able to leverage technology—from videoconferencing to virtual reality—to continue training and coaching.

Rethinking one’s approach, however, can trigger other challenges that go beyond a reliable and secure internet connection and becoming more familiar with using Skype, Zoom, or other platforms. There are also social and emotional issues that, if not addressed, can undermine how effectively hospitality trainers can adapt to this brave new world.

Our free adaptive learning course, “How to Successfully Work from Home,” offers unique advice and practical tips from Area9 professionals and others who have made working from home their norm for many years. Our goal for hospitality trainers is to show how they can leverage technology to foster and support collaboration. When working remotely, a computer screen can feel more like a barrier than a portal into a meaningful connection. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Best practices in remote working, highlighted in the course, include:

• Be visible while working remotely to show you are present and available. Regular check-ins with managers and colleagues can improve work and also reduce feelings of isolation.
• Choose the best platform—phone, email, text, or videoconference—for the message you are sending. For problem solving and urgent matters, use synchronous communication to connect in real time. When matters are not urgent, or time zones are a factor, use asynchronous communication.
• While remote work carries the benefits of flexible hours and working from any location, it can blur the lines between professional and personal life. Set boundaries such as unplugging after work and connecting socially with friends online or by phone. Eat lunch away from your computer and stay physically active.
• Self-care, which is often overlooked, is the key to reducing stress and anxiety, particularly in challenging times.

As an added bonus, the How to Successfully Work from Home course provides a hands-on introduction to computer-based advanced adaptive learning. This mode of instruction is getting increased attention as part of corporate training in many industries. Adaptive learning combines the scalability of an e-learning platform with personalization that replicates working with a tutor. Adaptive learning platforms can meet learners where they are, which is key in making remote learning more impactful.

For hospitality trainers, experiencing adaptive learning first-hand may help them see the potential of this tool in their toolkit going forward. When people gain a baseline of knowledge by learning on their own via adaptive learning, that can make in-person training even more successful and engaging.

Nick J. Howe is the chief learning officer of Area9 Lyceum, the learning company of Danish-owned Area9 Group. Area9 Lyceum, which has developed the world’s most advanced computer-based adaptive learning platform, is supporting professionals everywhere in becoming more adept at remote working. Area9 Lyceum has launched its fourth generation adaptive and personalized learning platform, Area9 Rhapsode™.