vin diagram

 

Just yesterday a colleague and I did a presentation on the 5 steps to success when using video conferencing as a consultative tool. I figured it would make for a logical post on our blog. Before actually getting into the steps however, I need to explain the graphic above as it will likely be the most important takeaway from this post.

For a consultation to be successful you basically need three things to occur. First you need to make sure that you develop an effective intervention for whatever it is your client is needing you to do. This may be a new marketing plan, a new piece of technology, or a new behavior intervention for a student (or teacher) you are trying to help control in a classroom setting. Secondly, you need to know that the intervention is being implemented appropriately. I can’t tell you how many times the never ending argument starts by putting the blame for an intervention not working on an inappropriate intervention by the consultant. The consultant then fires back saying “the intervention is fine, you’re just not implementing in correctly.” This is where the final piece of the diagram comes in: measured outcomes. By identifying the outcome you hope to accomplish beforehand, the task of creating an appropriate intervention and implementing it correctly increases ten fold. Having said that, here are the five steps to success:

  1. Obtain Appropriate Permissions First -
    More often than not there is a higher power that needs to allow the use of video conferencing as a consultative tool. Some departments have strict policies in place that do not allow the type of technology used for this type of support. In addition, there are often privacy and ethical issues to consider. For example, are you videoing this intervention, do all parties being videoed know the situation? If so, will that change things?
  2. Practice Makes Perfect -
    Never, I repeat never, start using video conferencing technology in place of face to face consultation without doing a few practice runs first. Technology doesn’t always work right and if it can happen it will happen, especially when you need it to not happen the most. Be prepared for this with a back up plan and knowledge about how to fix whatever problems you may encounter
  3. Define the behavior and setting you need to develop the intervention for -
    This rule was developed for more of an educational setting, but I can see how it would apply for almost any other area as well. If the point of the consultation is to provide a solution to a problem, you need to clearly define what that problem is and where it occurs the most. Choose one setting and stick to that setting. Otherwise your data will not pan out later. There are too many external influences to consider.
  4. Collect Baseline Data -
    You know the problem and the setting, now collect the measurable data you decided upon before you implement any intervention. Make sure the problem really exists. This data can most always be collected using a simple webcam and internet connection in the setting you choose to observe.
  5. Develop Intervention and Collect More Data -
    You have your baseline data… Now develop your intervention. You can demonstrate this intervention through video conferencing until you are confident those who are implementing your intervention can do it right. Take a sales rep for example. Have them role play with a colleague in front of the webcam the intervention you’ve developed until you are satisfied. Then you can be sure that if it doesn’t work, it’s the intervention that’s the problem, not the implementation. Then, as the step says, collect more data. If the data isn’t looking good, it’s back to the drawing board (see graphic and top of page and start at step 1 again).

That’s it. Now you’re on your way to moving part of your consulting online. In our experience, we usually meet face-to-face at first, then move a large portion of our work online. In one example still in progress, we had to travel 2 hours one-way to meet the client. Had we continued face-to-face meetings, we would have only been able to fit them in once every couple of months. Instead, during the primary visit, a webcam was installed. We can now meet and observe around 3 times a week and the data we are getting is unbelievable (look for it in a later post).